Compiling
by Black.Rose.Authoress
Summary: It's a miracle that they haven't destroyed the entire town by now... A 100 theme challenge fic set in my Gen!flip AU.
1. 001: Introduction

A/N: HAPPY DAY-AFTER-HETALIA DAY, EVERYONE! So as stated at the end of Tomatita, I'm going to be starting up a new story. Which is going to be a 100-theme story of one-shots set in my gen!flip-verse. This'll be updated on an 'as I'm inspired' basis and I'll be doing the numbers in order, just because I like to drive myself insane like that... And it'll deal with basically anything that happens before and (some) during 'Just a Little Push'. Very little—if anything—afterwards, because it'd give away too much...

As with the other genflipped stories, this will include genflipped Italy, Romano, Canada, America, and Prussia... It will also include multiple OC's and double the Hungary for double the frying pan fun...

I'll be taking requests for characters you'd like to see, although I can't promise that I'll honour all. So let us begin!

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**001.**Introduction**  
****Characters:**Antonio & Lovina  
**Genre:**Friendship  
**Rating:**K+  
**Time Period: **pre-Round & Round

* * *

**Not Your Average Soul Mate**

"Mamá! Look! Look!"

Antonio was pretty sure that he had never seen anything so amazing in his entire life. Never _ever_.

There were swings and super huge jungle gym that a bunch of kids were climbing on and a sandbox and slide and some boys were playing with trucks near one of the benches.

"I see it, Tonio. It looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it?"

And there were tons of other kids, probably hundreds and hundreds! Antonio giggled in excitement and bounced a few times in his seat before pressing his nose up against the window again. He couldn't wait to play with them!

This was the first time that he'd get to meet any of the other kids in town, since he and his mamá had just moved into their new house a few days ago. He liked their new house, since it was pretty and white with a green roof, and it was surrounded by lots and lots of little tiny plants that Mamá said would turn into tomatoes someday. He was super excited for when that happened, because he loved tomatoes a whole lot...

He had been a little worried, though, since he didn't know anyone here. What if the other kids didn't like him? What if they didn't want to be friends with him? But he was started to feel less worried about that, since there were so many of them. And they looked like they were having lots of fun...

So much fun that it made it hard for him to sit still long enough for Mamá to park the car, get out, open his door, and unbuckle his seat belt. Although he did manage... Barely.

"Now, Tonio." It was so hard to keep himself from running off as soon as he hopped out of the car. He did wait, though, as she crouched down so they were on the same eye level and gazed into his face. "You be good and make sure that you stay where Mamá can see you, sí?"

"Sí, Mamá..." He wanted to go right _now_.

And she just laughed and reached forward to ruffle his hair. "All right, just make sure that you make lots of amigos too, hijo. Now go on."

He didn't need to be told twice.

...It was so hard to decide where he should play first, though. Should he go to the jungle gym and climb on the bars there? Those kids looked a lot bigger than him, though, so maybe not.

He could go on the slide, but it looked really high and he was kind of scared of high things... The swings were all taken, too...

And then his eyes rested on the sandbox. Which was empty except for a bright red shovel—that was the exact colour of yummy, fresh tomatoes—which was just sitting there.

He could build a sandcastle! And he was sure that someone would come over to play with him once he started building his castle.

So he immediately headed over, glancing back once toward where his mamá was sitting on an empty bench, flipping through a book that she had brought. She was okay, so it would okay if he played there.

He then kicked his shoes off before climbing into the box, giggling excitedly as his feet sunk into the sand and it squished up between his toes. He loved sand. Whenever he stepped into it, he would remember when Uncle Ferdinand and Aunt Isabel had taken him to the beach a year ago. He'd loved playing in the sand while he was there—especially when his mamá and Aunt Isabel had helped him bury Uncle Ferdinand under a huge mountain of sand.

He giggled at the memory and then proceeded to grab the red shovel—taking a few moments to look over his new treasure before he collapsed down into the sand and looked around the box.

Sandcastles weren't very exciting things to build, though... He wanted to build something better...

Like a sand tomato!

That was even better than a sand castle! He'd make a sand tomato and then show it to his mamá.

And he immediately threw himself right into the task. So intensely that he didn't notice a pair of hazel eyes gazing at him from across the playground...

Not that he probably would have noticed anyway, since Antonio wasn't the most observant person in the world.

As shown when he completely failed to notice the figure walking towards him, eyes still intent on him. At least, he didn't notice until the person suddenly dropped into the sand right beside him and a fist darted out and yanked his shovel right out of his hand.

Huh?

And for a moment, Antonio just stared at his now-empty hand. Wha—? Who had—?

He finally lifted his head and turned, rather surprised to see a super adorable little girl sitting right beside him, pouting as she clutched the shovel against her chest protectively.

She was cute. Really cute. And dirty... Very dirty. Her curly, auburn hair was all tangled up and knotted; her dress was ripped in various places and covered in dried mud... She was barefoot, her feet almost black with dried mud.

And all Antonio could do was stare at her. Completely startled by her sudden arrival and the theft of his new toy.

"H—hola..." He immediately reached out toward her, flashing her a bright smile. Mamá said that smiles made lots of things better. "I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. Can I have my shovel back, por favor?"

"Mine! Stupid!"

Antonio blinked.

That hadn't been the response that he was expecting.

"Pero, it's my shovel. I found it. And I was almost done with my sand tomato..."

"Mine, stupid!" And now she was glaring at him, clutching the shovel even more tightly.

Antonio wasn't sure what to do. She'd just stolen his shovel. But then again, maybe it _was _her shovel. And even if it wasn't, he should be nice and let her play with it. After all, now he had someone to play with...

"Okay, you can play with it," he finally responded, flashing her his friendliest smile. "We can make our sand tomato together!"

She glared back at him in response, looking rather suspicious. Then she looked down at the mound that Antonio was attempting to turn into a sand tomato.

And immediately hit it with the shovel.

"Hey!"

"Stupid!"

"That wasn't nice!"

Why in the world had she just done that? She didn't even look like she cared that she had just ruined his sand tomato, since she was just staring at him now. And then she turned and began to dig in the sand.

Antonio just stared back in complete horror for another moment. Not sure how to react to her. So he glanced toward where his mamá was sitting... And was a little surprised to see that she was sitting with a woman with long, blonde hair. They were laughing, Mamá looking happier than he'd seen her in weeks.

Mamá wanted him to try to make lots of amigos. Which meant that—even if she wasn't being very nice—he should try to be friends with the little girl...

"What's your name?" She had managed to dig a pretty large hole in the sand while he was distracted, but now turned to look at him with a rather surprised expression in her eyes. Which was almost immediately replaced with a scowl.

And then he suddenly felt a hard rap on his head, which caused him to yelp as he protectively covered his head with his hands. "Ow!"

"No." She immediately returned to her digging, obviously pleased that she'd put him in his rightful place.

"That's mean! Mamá says we're not supposed to hit people..." Then again, maybe her mamá hadn't told her that. His smile slipped away for a moment as he wondered over that... And then he was distracted, as he noticed that she was building a hill in the sand. That looked almost exactly like the mound that he had been making.

"Are you making a sand tomato too?"

She turned and glared at him again, but didn't hit him—he covered his head, though, just in case—and then glanced back at the pile with a thoughtful expression. "Sand 'mato..."

"I'll help you." He scooted closer, reaching out to pat at the side of the hill. "We can make it together, sí?"

And now she was staring at him with an even more suspicious expression. But she finally nodded, dumping another shovel-full of sand onto the hill, covering his hands in the process. "'Mato."

"Me and Mamá just got a new house," Antonio continued after a few seconds of silence. "We're gonna have lots of tomates! Maybe you can come over and have some."

She didn't answer, just patted at the sand tomato again with her shovel... A little too hard apparently, as it suddenly crumbled apart.

Which seemed to startle her enough that she froze, just staring at the sand with a surprised expression. And then pouted as she threw the shovel on top of the pile, crossing her arms over her chest... Her cheeks turning red as she puffed them out.

...Aww! She looked so cute like that! Just like a little tomato.

"I'll help you build it again!" Antonio hurriedly grabbed the shovel and started scooping the sand back into a pile. He didn't want her to be sad because she broke her sand tomato. "It'll be the best sand tomate ever!"

She just responded by grabbing the shovel back and then hitting him on the head with it. Although not as hard as before...although still hard enough to hurt a little bit. "Stupid."

"Ow~ That's not nice."

Again, she ignored him. Returning to digging in the sand, now making a big hole near her feet... And Antonio just watched her.

For whatever reason, he found himself interested in her. She had come over here to play with him for some reason, after all... And she had wanted to make a sand tomato like him. So he just smiled as he gazed at her. "I used to live with my tio and tia," he started after a few seconds. "But then Mamá got us a house and we're going to live here now. And I want to make lots of friends with everyone... I've never had friends before."

She was still ignoring him. Maybe. He kind of thought that she was listening and was just choosing not to talk.

"You can be my first friend, maybe." He smiled as she looked up at him. "It'll be fun! We can play and eat tomatoes and have lots of adventures! 'Cept, I should probably know your name if we're gonna be friends..."

And now he paused, waiting for her to answer. Which she didn't. As she had stuck her feet into the hole and was now pushing sand back in, covering them up.

When she had finished, she looked up, eyes settling on him. And then she turned away and patted at the sand over her feet. "Lovina."

"Lovina?" Antonio's lips immediately broke into an incredibly wide smile. And then he laughed. "So cute! You'll be Lovi!"

Which just earned him a scowl in response, Lovina's eyes narrowing as her cheeks puffed out again into a pout.

"Lovi, the little tomate!"

Antonio made a quick mental note to himself after that. Don't call Lovi by that name when she had a possibly-dangerous weapon in her hand... It'd probably work out better for his head.

Even if they were definitely going to be best friends from now on.

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A/N: For all of the stories, I'll add a little blurb at the end about how the story relates to the theme (because some will be very vaguely connected)... This one...should be obvious, though. The introduction of little!Tonio to little!Lovi. Weee...

Next will be **LOVE**.

If you want the list of the 100 themes, I actually posted it in a journal entry on my deviantart (which is linked on my profile). So you can check it out there. Or just look it up, since it's pretty easy to find.

And for anyone who's wondering why I disappeared for so long. Well... xD Blame Durarara! I was working on a project til the 20th, so I didn't have much time to write and then I kind of got hooked on DRRR! right after that and have been watching it pretty much every free moment I have. (Such a bad little Authoress xD) Plus, you know. School... School and work kind of eat my soul sometimes.


	2. 002: Love

A/N: Listen to the song "Sexy Bitch" as sung by Leah, right now. ;D Gill's first words will make sooooo much more sense…

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**002****. **Love**  
Characters: **Gill, Mattie, Francis, Antonio, Kiku, Big Mike & Leon  
**Genre:** Humour/Friendship/Romance  
**Rating: **T  
**Time Period: **Halloween, post-Inquisition

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**B****addest Chick Around Town**

This was not the first—and it would definitely not be the last—time that Mattie would wonder over her girlfriend's sanity. Actually, she was starting to feel like she would _never _be able to truly understand how Gillian's mind worked.

She wasn't sure yet if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Gillian, what in the world are you _wearing_?"

It was yellow. That was the first thing that Mattie's brain had been able to focus on after the initial shock of opening the door to find Gillian on her porch wearing... Well. A bright yellow, knee-length dress that was absolutely covered in…yellow feathers.

Yellow _feathers_.

Over that, she was wearing a black leather jacket that perfectly matched the usual combat boots. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, more yellow feathers stuck in the yellow scrunchie… And… she was also wearing yellow fishnets.

Yellow _fishnets_.

Mattie had never realized just how gorgeous Gill's legs were before now…

And she was suddenly jerked out of thoughts when Gill suddenly moved; one hand settling on her hip while the other arm jerked toward the sky. She paused for effect and then shouted out, "I'm the baddest chick around town!"

…

Yes, Mattie's girlfriend was definitely insane. Probably certifiably.

And now Gillian dropped her arm and leaned forward, lips twisting up into a smirk before she began to half-chant, half-sing… "I'm nothing like a girl you've ever seen before. Nothing you can compare to your neighbourhood whore. If you wanna find the words to describe this girl…" She pointed to herself again and then winked. "You best be respectful. The way my bootie's movin', you can't take no more. Have to stop what you're doing. Tryin' to…"

And she was starting to _dance_. Which finally managed to shock Mattie into motion. She hurriedly clapped her hand over Gill's mouth, head jerking to stare into the interior of her house. Praying that Ally hadn't heard Gill's words. "Gillian!"

Gill made a disgruntled sound against Mattie's hand and jerked her head back. "Mattie~ I didn't even get to the chorus!"

"Gillian…" Mattie looked over the outfit once more, attempting to not spend more time than necessary staring at those _very_ nice legs… "Why in the world are you dressed like this? Why are you even here?"

Gill just stared at her, obviously surprised by the questions. "Why _else _would I be dressed like this? It's Halloween, silly! Time to go trick or treating and get tons of free candy!"

…

Definitely certifiable.

"Hurry up, Gilly! They'll be all out of candy if we don't get going!"

And Mattie glanced over Gillian's shoulder to see Antonio and Francis standing at the end of the driveway. Both dressed up and holding huge bags that already looked half-filled…

"Trick or treating?" Mattie wasn't sure if she'd heard her right. "Aren't we a little…old for trick or treating?"

"You're never too old for trick or treating!" And suddenly Mattie was thrown off-balance as the other girl grabbed her arm and dragged her forward. "Come on! We're the best trick or treaters ever! We totally know which houses have the best candy!"

"But…I don't even have a costume."

Gill paused at this, turning to look her over with a rather surprised expression. "Why don't you have a costume? It's Halloween! Everyone should dress up on Halloween!"

Mattie wasn't entirely sure if she should bother answering that she hadn't planned on going out today, and therefore it would have been a waste of money to buy a costume. She didn't think that it'd really make a difference to her.

"Well, we'll have to get you one!" And Gill just continued dragging her out the door, barely giving Mattie enough time to grab her jacket off the coat rack.

She'd have to text Ally later to tell her what had happened, she supposed.

They walked down the driveway toward where the two boys were standing, both of them looking almost as excited as Gill—although Francis was doing a much better job of hiding it than Antonio.

He was dressed in an outfit that made Mattie immediately think of a French nobleman. Long, dark blue suit jacket over a white suit with gold accents. The entire thing looked ridiculously expensive and realistic… And then, as she drew closer, he smiled and revealed a pair of incredibly realistic fangs.

Antonio, on the other hand, was wearing a much simpler outfit, which consisted of a pair of ripped, brown pants and a lighter brown, also ripped shirt. A pair of wolf ears that almost perfectly matched his hair peaked out of his dark curls and a wolf tail was attached to the back of his pants.

So a werewolf, vampire, and 'the baddest chick in town'…

Yeah, that pretty much summed them up.

"Let's go!" And Antonio suddenly jumped forward to tug at Gill's arm, the ears slipping at the sudden motion. "We only have a couple more hours left!"

Francis sighed in response, smiling as he shook his head in amusement and took a step closer to fix Antonio's ears. "Calm down, Antoine. We still have plenty of time."

Gill shook her head at this, giving Mattie's hand a squeeze. Mattie hadn't even really noticed that they _were _holding hands until now. "No! We have to hurry. We should go to Kiku's first and get Mattie an outfit. Then we can walk around his neighbourhood. It'll be awesome"

The two boys immediately nodded in agreement. And Mattie was being tugged forward again, Gill spinning around for a moment to flash her a bright smile.

"This is going to be super fun, Mattie! Kiku gives out these chocolate-covered biscuit stick things every year, which are totally awesome."

Antonio nodded in response from his place on her other side. "And then we can go Big Mike's house, sí?"

"Yeah!" Gill's smile brightened at this, something that Mattie hadn't actually thought possible. "She always gives out these yard-long awesome tubes full of sugar!"

"And Leon will be there too," Francis added with a smirk. "I'm sure that he's missed us."

"Yeah!"

Mattie was pretty sure that Gillian didn't need a yard-long tube of sugar… She didn't need _any _more sugar, actually.

…Wait. And now she suddenly noticed that Gillian wasn't carrying a bag like the other two boys. "What did you do with your candy, Gill?"

"Ate it all already!"

That explained so much.

Francis laughed at the expression that crossed her face and slipped an arm around Gill's shoulder from the opposite side. "Don't worry, Mattie. I'm holding onto all of Gill's candy after this."

"You're no fun~"

And they spent the next few minutes like this. They would occasionally stop at houses that had 'super awesome' hauls, but for the most part they just walked together. Laughing, sharing stories with Mattie about past Halloweens, engaging in a rather epic candy wrapper-throwing fight…

Mattie actually lost complete track of time and place as they walked along. And was therefore rather surprised when they stopped for a moment in front of a familiar house that she soon recognized as belonging to Kiku's family…

And then, without any warning, Francis, Antonio, and Gill were suddenly gone. All three racing toward the door, running into bushes, each other, and the stairs in their haste to be the first to reach the doorbell.

"I got it!"

"Non!"

"Nein! Awesomeness is gonna get it!"

"You got the last one, Gilly!"

Mattie had no idea who actually managed to reach it first, as all three of them somehow managed to run right _into _the door in the process. Definitely alerting whoever was inside to their presence.

She actually winced at the sound of them hitting the house. Although none of them seemed injured, since—as soon as the door was slowly pulled open—they still had the ability to shriek out "Trick or treat!"

"Ah, hello, Gill—"

"Give us candy, Kiku, or we'll play a super awesome trick on you!"

At this, Mattie walked toward the doorway, feeling like it would probably help matters if she stayed near the other three. She could now see Kiku standing in the doorway, figure outlined against the light coming from inside, holding a tray covered with little brightly-coloured boxes. Which were immediately obscured as Gillian reached out and grabbed four...

"Awesome! These things are so awesomely addicting!"

Kiku didn't seem at all startled by her rather rude action. Then again, most people didn't seem all that surprised by anything that Gillian did. Instead, he nodded once and took a step backwards. "Would you like to come inside?"

"Neh," Gillian shook her head, already tearing into one of the boxes as she passed the others to Francis. "We just wanted to know if you had a costume that Mattie could wear." She pointed with her thumb back toward where the other girl was standing. "She needs something awesome to go trick or treating in and you've got all those awesome costumes."

Mattie saw a slight flush cross Kiku's face as the words. But he hurriedly nodded once, taking another step back and setting the tray onto a table near the door. "I—should have something." He paused and looked at her, nodding politely. "If you'd come with me, Mattea-san?"

Mattie hesitated for a moment at that. Suddenly feeling like she didn't really want to do this... But, then again... What was the worst that could happen?

...

Famous last words.

Twenty minutes later and Mattie was standing on the porch of an innocent-looking little white and green house, her face a clashing red colour that probably shouldn't even be humanly possible. One of her hands being squeezed to death by her overly-hyper girlfriend, who was bouncing in place out of an inability to keep still...

She shouldn't have come. She definitely should have just stayed at home. Or—she could have even gone with Ally to the Halloween party at Arthur's house that was probably starting right about now... At least then she wouldn't currently be dressed in..._this_...standing on a complete stranger's porch.

_This _was referring the mess of lace and satin that she was currently enveloped in. 'Lolita,' according to Kiku. It was pink and blue and short and reminded her of something that a little girl would wear. She had to admit that it was _cute_, though. And at least her legs weren't totally bare, as he'd given her a pair of white knee-high socks with pink bows near the top. And then pink Mary Janes that were a little too small for her... He'd apologized for that, mentioning something about his cousin having smaller feet than her...

"Wait'll you meet Big Mike. She's totally awesome!" And she was brought out of her thoughts by Gill's voice. She glanced toward the other girl, who looked just as excited as a little kid on Halloween.

...If she hadn't come with them, then she also wouldn't be with Gill right now...

And the door swung open right at the moment, revealing the sweetest-looking old lady that Mattie had ever seen. The sort of lady that Mattie could easily imagine as someone's cookie-baking grandmother. She immediately felt calmed just by her smile. Which only brightened as she looked over the group. "Well, hello, sweeties! I was wondering when you were going to come visit me."

Gillian released Mattie's hand and darted forward at this, throwing her arms around the lady. "Hi, Big Mike!"

"Come in. Come in." She swung the door farther in, motioning for the group to enter. "We have cookies and punch and candy in the other room."

"Awesome!" Gillian was bouncing in excitement now, darting back to Mattie's side and grabbing her arm before pulling her forward. "This is Mattie, Big Mike!"

For a moment, Mattie felt a sting of terror. What if this lady realized that they were dating and didn't approve? Hardly anyone knew about them, after all. Did she? Had Gill told her?

And then the woman smiled. And Mattie immediately felt like her fears disappeared. "So you're the infamous Mattie? Chickie has told me a lot about you." And then a teasing smirk crossed over her lips and she looked over at Gillian. Who flushed the tiniest bit at the stare, her hand sliding down so the girls' fingers were intertwined… And Big Mike looked even happier as she glanced down at their hands. "Ah, young love. So sweet…"

Mattie knew that she was definitely blushing too, fingers squeezing the tiniest bit…

"DAMN IT, FRANCIS! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!"

And that completely killed the moment. As everyone jumped in surprise at the sudden shout coming from inside the house; Mattie hurriedly turned around, to see that while Antonio was still standing behind them, Francis had disappeared at some point.

The only one who hadn't jumped, actually, was Big Mike. Who smirked… Suddenly looking a lot less like a nice, innocent grandma… And a lot more like Gill when she'd just pulled a prank on her brother.

"Well, it sounds like Francis woke Leon up…"

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A/N: Happy Halloween, ya'll! I feel like I'm jumping on the Halloween band wagon with this one. But…oh well… Halloween is pretty much my favourite holiday, so I of course had to write something for it. And it's different than the others I've seen, so that's all right.

Anyway, so hope ya guys had a great Halloween! Mine was—meh, actually. Full of much stress, since I have 2 tests on Wednesday (Bio & African history) and a speech on Thursday (presentational speaking)… -.- I should be studying now, but…I can't deal at the moment, so I'm writing instead while hiding in the coffee shop and drinking hot apple cider with caramel… (Which is freakin' delicious, although I keep burning myself because I have Gilly's patience when it comes to liquid caramel-apple deliciousness.)

Speaking of which…Gilly! This will hopefully at least somewhat make-up for the lack of Gilly in R&R right now… Poor girl has disappeared into the abyss of 'doesn't fit into the story right now' o.O

In explanation of how the story relates to the theme word… Well, I could have gone the conventional route of writing a super-fluffy romance fic. But… I actually find the love shared between friends to be even more interesting than the kind shared between lovers… (Although we had a little of that in here too). Lots of love going on here, even if it's not all super out-there and obvious.

In other news. I've added lots of new stuff to my profile. First off, we've got new fanart for JaLP; go check it out and show love love.

I've also added a new poll about my OC's and their involvement in this story, so go and vote!

I've also put up a link to my Tumblr, which I only started recently so there isn't much up yet… (I had one before, but I deleted it since all of my friends got bored and went on to better things). Feel free to check it out, though.

And then, finally, there's a link to a project that I was involved in recently. Some lovely ladies have put together a Hetalia fanfic and fanart anthology which is available for purchase through their website. Yours truly wrote two original stories for it, so yeah ;)

Next chapter will be: **LIGHT**.


	3. 003: Light

**003****. **Light**  
Characters: **Francis, Gill, Arthur, Antonio, Lovina, Feliciana & Ludwig  
**Genre:** Friendship  
**Rating: **T  
**Time Period: **post-Tomatita, pre-Round & Round

* * *

**Lolita: Part 1**

Francis sometimes preferred just watching the others play, rather than joining in himself. It was rather entertaining to just sit outside as an observer, watching as Gillian teased Arthur until he ran after her with his "magic wand"—attempting to put a curse on her that would turn her into…a rabbit, apparently. If he was hearing them right, at least. Meanwhile, Antonio was attempting to teach Lovina how to catch butterflies and Feliciana was tugging Ludwig toward the carousel.

Francis smiled to himself as he rested his elbows on the picnic table and then set his chin on top of his fists. He adored his friends. All of them. Since he knew that they loved him back. And they would never leave him alone. Never.

"Look, Lovi! There's a blue butterfly!" Antonio pointed toward a clump of bright pink flowers, excitedly bouncing in place as the little girl turned to look at the insect with a rather unreadable expression. "Go catch it!"

Lovina turned to look at him for a moment, expression plainly reading 'are you an idiot?' But, then she began to slowly creep toward the little blue speck that was barely visible against the pink flower. Pausing when she was a few feet away. And then, after a few seconds of just staring at it intently, she pounced.

And missed. The butterfly fluttering away.

Francis had to giggle at the shocked and disappointed expression that immediately passed over her face. And Antonio's immediate response of "Don't be sad, Lovi!"

The Spanish boy hurriedly darted after the butterfly, slowing to a walk as it landed on a dandelion a few feet away. And then he struck, much faster than Lovina. Francis watched curiously, wondering if he'd managed to catch it. And then he was answered when Antonio jumped back after a second with his hands cupped together, excited smile stretching over his lips.

"I caught it, Lovi!" He immediately returned to the little girl, who stared at his cupped hands with obvious envy. "Here!" He pressed the cupped hands against hers. "Hold your hands like mine, okay?"

She frowned, but then obeyed. Her eyes immediately widening as he slowly slid his hands open, depositing the delicate creature into her cupped palms. Hurriedly closing her hands so it couldn't escape. And then she squeaked, Francis assumed out of surprise at the feeling of the butterfly fluttering around between her hands.

"Mamá calls them 'mariposas'. She says that they make flowers grow."

Lovina continued to stare at her cupped hands for a few more seconds, and then she lifted her head. A rather surprising expression of worry etched across her face. "I think he wants to get away… Is the mariposa scared of the dark?"

Antonio blinked and then Francis saw a slight smile cross over his lips. "Hmm, I think that he wants to get back to his Mamá."

"Is his mamá a nice mommy or a mean mommy?" Now she was pouting down at her closed hands.

And Francis felt a tiny twinge of something—that may have been sadness or pity—dart through his chest at that. As Lovina stared up at Antonio with the butterfly clutched close to her chest.

For a moment, Antonio didn't respond. And then he smiled and patted her head. "He has a very nice mamá who makes him yummy churros. And lots of friends that he can play games with. And a nice papá too. So I think we should probably let him go so he can go home, right?"

Lovina didn't immediately respond. Instead, she pouted. Before looking down at her hands with a thoughtful expression…

And then she slowly uncurled her fingers, releasing a little speck of blue that flew toward the endless blue of the sky. "Silly mariposa probably has stupid friends."

Francis smiled at that. Before turning his attention to where Feliciana was standing with Ludwig. Tugging on his sleeve as she pointed toward the carousel.

"I wanna ride on a horsie with Ludwig!" Ludwig wasn't moving, possibly not even noticing that she was attempting to make him move. Since Feliciana was so tiny…

"But…" And Francis was rather surprised to see that Ludwig looked rather pale and uncomfortable. His gaze was fixated on the horses as they continuously circling the carousel... "What about swings? Or the slide? Swings and the slide are more fun than horses."

Francis could tell that Feliciana's lower lip was quivering—he could tell that even with the distance between them. "But, Ludwig…"

No one could say no to Feli when her bottom lip began to quiver. Particularly if it was accompanied with big, teary eyes and sniffles.

"No horsies?"

And particularly if your first name was Ludwig and your last name was Beilschmidt…

"I—o—okay…" And now he reluctantly followed her toward the carousel, looking as if he were walking straight toward his doom.

Francis wondered what exactly would happen if Ludwig fainted on the merry-go-round…

"Gimme my hat back!"

"Gotta catch me first, Artie!"

And now, possibly the most interesting duo in the entire park. Francis turned to face his other friends. And giggled at the sight that met him. Of Arthur standing at the bottom of the slide, massive caterpillar eyebrows knit together as he glared up at where Gillian was posing at the top. Wearing Arthur's pirate hat.

"I am now the Awesome Captain Gillian! And you're my cabin boy, the Unawesome Caterpillar Eyebrows Arthur!"

"I do not have caterpillar eyebrows!" And now he stomped his foot against the woodchips. "Gimme my hat or I'll make you fall down!"

This actually made Gillian pause, eyes widening slightly as she stared down at him. And then she stomped her own foot, pointed toward him, and then yelled out "Arthur said he's gonna push me down the slide!"

Antonio and Ludwig both paused at this shriek, turning from what they had been doing to stare at the boy—Ludwig actually looking relieved by the interruption.

While Arthur looked absolutely horrified by her insinuation. "I did not!"

"Mutti said pushing people down the slide is bad!" She rested her hands on her hips and then turned toward her brother. "Arthur's being bad! We should tell Mutti so she can punish him!"

Now Ludwig looked as if he wasn't sure which would be worse: dealing with his sister or suffering through the terror that was the merry-go-round. "Why would we ask Mutti to punish him? Shouldn't we tell _his _mutti?"

"Our mutti is better."

Ludwig now apparently made his decision, as he turned and began walking back toward the carousel. Feliciana giggling as she skipped ahead.

"You want to push Gillian down the slide, amigo?" And now Antonio walked forward, Lovina following him after a moment and gripping onto the back of his shirt when he stopped. His voice was much colder than usual. Scarily so… "That would be very mean, Arthur~"

"I wasn't going to push her!" Arthur looked extremely irritated now. Enough so that Francis started to rise from his seat, just in case he and Antonio actually started fighting. Those two didn't get along all that well— "I was going to turn her into a rabbit so she'd slide down and stop stealing my hat!"

And Francis sat down at that.

While Antonio looked incredibly confused by the statement. "A…bunny?"

"I told you! I don't want to be a bunny!" Gillian stomped her foot again. And then a couple more times, just for good measure. "I wanna be a chick! Chicks are more awesome!"

"What kind of bunny?" Antonio apparently had ignored her statement, as he was now staring up at her with a thoughtful expression. Which was slowly morphing into the slightly-dopey smile that he usually reserved for Lovina and piles of shiny, red tomatoes. "A white bunny with red eyes? Can she have floppy ears? Floppy ears are cute!"

Arthur just stared at him. And then shrugged. "Sure…"

"Aw~! Que lindo~!"

"Nein! I don't wanna be a bunny!" Another stomp. "Chicks are more awesome! I wanna be a chick!" And now she removed her hat and threw it down the slide; Arthur just barely managed to catch it before it fell right into the dirt. "You're all unawesome!"

And then she slid down as well.

Without giving Arthur the opportunity to move out of the way…

"Ow! Gillian!"

"Unawesome meanie!"

And Francis laughed again, eyes gradually gliding over the rest of the park. The other kids playing together. Parents watching over their little ones...

And the laughter immediately died in his throat. As he suddenly noticed a pair of dark eyes glaring at him from the opposite end of the park… The glare only intensifying when their eyes made contact.

And Francis' stomach immediately twisted. Merde… He'd completely forgotten!

He immediately jumped out of his seat, hurrying toward the figure. Only throwing a quick "I have to go home now" over his shoulder in response to the others' curious questions.

He was going to be angry! And Francis hated when he was angry. If he got too angry, then he'd leave him alone. Just like Maman and Papa.

And he couldn't have that happen. He didn't want anyone to leave him ever again…

* * *

A/N: How this relates to the theme is rather metaphorical. So… Basically, I kind of view Antonio, Gillian, and the others as "lights" to little!Francis. Since he's basically been abandoned by his parents, his life tends to be rather dark. But then he made friends and they bring happiness to him and keep him from being constantly lonely. So that's how it relates to light.

Unfortunately, for all light, there is dark. Which is our theme for next chapter. And you got a little hint toward at the end of this one. Now. This is important. I will give you a warning about the next chapter. If you want only happy stories then completely ignore the next chapter. However, I will warn you that it is an important chapter if you want to entirely understand the backstory/psychology of the Pleasantville-verse.

So yes. Ample warning. Next chapter is dealing with difficult themes. If you want a hint at what this means… *points to title of chapter* Yes.

In happier news, today I went to one of those FYE anime days up near Rochester, NY. Twas super fun! I not only got to wear my Hetalia shirt out among other otaku, but I also wore my awesome combat boots/military hat/an insanely long-haired wig ;D AND I found a Resident Evil shirt for only $2! (I've been looking for a RE shirt for like…weeks…but all the ones I've been able to find were like… $20+ which is insane). It's super awesome and I'm currently wearing it for no better reason than because it is mega-awesomesauce. Mmm, oh, and my friend—who was dressed up in full-Lolita—won 3rd prize in the cosplay contest even though she didn't sign up…since Lolita isn't really cosplay and we got there super late since we got lost like 3 times. Since my GPS is crap ;P


	4. 004: Dark

A/N: Warning that this chapter is rated OT for older teen. If you want only happy stories, then skip this chapter.

* * *

**004****. **Dark**  
Characters: **Francis  
**Genre:** Angst, Family & Tragedy  
**Rating: **OT  
**Time Period: **post-Tomatita, pre-Round & Round

* * *

**Lolita: Part 2**

"You said that you'd come home right after school."

Francis could feel the waves of panic attempting to smother him as he stared up into those furious dark eyes. He'd forgotten. Gillian and Antoine had wanted to play after school… And he'd completely forgotten about the promise that he'd made. But he hadn't meant to! He'd just forgotten.

He wanted to plead and beg for forgiveness now. But he couldn't force the words out of his throat… Because he knew that this would make Jean leave him. He'd go far away and never come back.

He could feel the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. But he couldn't cry. That would only make Jean hate him more. So he fought to hold them back. He wasn't going to cry. No matter what.

And suddenly a hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist and he was being dragged forward. Jean glaring off into the distance as he set his jaw into a firm, infuriated line. "You lied to me, Francis."

"I'm sorry." He couldn't keep all of the tears inside; he could feel a few escape and run down his cheeks in traitorous rivers. "I forgot. Gilli—"

And the grip tightened at this. Jean looked even angrier as he stomped over to the car and then swung the door open. "I told you that you shouldn't play with that girl. I told you that she was going to be a bad influence on you. But, you promised that you'd still be good…"

He released Francis' wrist now, allowing him the opportunity to climb inside the car. Which the child hurriedly took, fearing that Jean would drive off without him if he didn't immediately obey…

"I'm sorry…" he whispered softly, buckling his seat belt quickly before huddling in his seat. Watching as Jean climbed into the driver's seat and then slammed the door shut. Obviously still angry, although…he looked a tiny bit less angry…

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm sorry, Jean. I'm so sorry… Please don't be angry with me. Please?"

"You know, sometimes I understand why your parents went away." Francis shrunk even farther back in his seat at the harsh words. More tears managing to pass the blockade and stream down his cheeks. "If you can't even keep your promises…"

"I promise!" And now he sat straight in his seat, reaching out to grab at Jean's arm. "I'm sorry! I promise I won't do it ever again! I promise!"

He couldn't leave. Jean was the only person who cared about him in his whole entire house. Maman and Papa hardly ever came home, none of the rest of the servants would ever play with him or take him out to get ice cream or read him bedtime stories or _anything_.

Jean was the only one in the house that ever actually paid attention to him. Without him, he'd be alone.

And he didn't want to be all alone. Never. He hated being alone.

And, there were a few moments of silence. Only punctuated by the occasional sniffle from Francis. Which was suddenly interrupted by a huge sigh coming from the man, who then proceeded to start the car and drive forward. Finally speaking after a few moments… "I guess that it wasn't entirely your fault. That girl is an evil little menace."

Francis wanted to argue, but…then Jean might get angry again. So instead, he leaned forward slightly and exclaimed, "I promise I'll never be bad again, Jean! I promise!"

"Wasn't _entirely _your fault." The dark eyes turned to stare at him for a moment and then returned to the road. "But I won't forgive you until you show me that you're really sorry."

And Francis immediately felt his heart sink to the ground again at this; his body began to tremble. Fearful. Knowing exactly what he meant by that.

But all he could do was shrink farther back into his seat and stare down at the carpeting covering the car's floor. His voice softer than usual as he whispered out an emotionless "…Okay."

Francis knew exactly what Jean would want him to do. The same thing that they'd done many other times before… And he didn't want to do it. Because it hurt. It hurt and it scared him and he didn't _like_ it. And Jean would always make him promise afterwards to never tell anyone—if he ever told anyone, Jean would leave forever. And he'd be all alone. But, he didn't like keeping secrets from Antoine and Gillian.

But… he had to show Jean that he was sorry for lying to him. He had to show him that he really _was_ sorry. And that he'd never do anything like this ever again.

"Good." And now Francis felt a soft pressure brush against his hair, fingers sliding between the strands and smoothing his blonde curls. And after a moment, they slid down to his cheek and wiped the tears away.

"You're so beautiful, my little dear. I have the perfect dress for you. It's under your seat."

Francis hesitated for a moment, but then cautiously unbuckled his seat belt and leaned forward. He immediately noticed a pair of blue handles, which he immediately tugged on—pulling a dark blue bag into sight.

"Get dressed. I already told the other servants that I was going to take you out to a movie tonight, so we can head right over to Paul's place."

Francis hated Paul's place. It was scary and dirty and loud and Jean liked to take him there when they were doing the things that he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about... And once, Jean had left him in the room all alone and a scary man had come in and grabbed him and wouldn't let go even when he screamed.

But Jean had come back and he'd been holding a big knife, which he'd waved at the man while he yelled at him angrily. The man had gotten scared and left after that… Although Francis had been so scared that he didn't even notice that the man had left at first. He'd only been able to calm down when Jean pulled him up into his lap and pet his hair and told him that he had to be more careful.

…But… Francis had to show Jean that he really was sorry. He had to be brave. And he couldn't say that he didn't want to go to the scary place…

So instead, he dug in the bag for a few seconds, pulling out a light blue dress covered with frills, ribbons, and lace after a few seconds. And there were white knee socks with blue bows. And light blue ribbons for his hair. And white Mary-Janes.

Jean didn't like him being a boy. Francis didn't know why, but Jean liked it when he pretended to be a girl. So he'd make him wear dresses and ribbons and he couldn't tell other people that he was a boy when they went out.

Which Francis didn't like, but he had to make sure that Jean was happy so he wouldn't leave like Maman and Papa. So he slipped his sneakers and socks off first; glancing up to see that Jean was watching him—although he did keep looking up at the road so they wouldn't run into anything.

"Go on, pet. We'll be there soon."

Francis had to force down a violent shiver at the thought of the dirty room that would be awaiting him. A dirty room that would only hold a smelly, sticky bed… A smelly, sticky bed that Jean would set him on as soon as they arrived…

He continued dressing, tugging his shirt over his head and throwing it down onto the floor before sliding the dress onto his body without too much difficulty. Sliding his pants off was a little harder, although he did manage. And he also managed to tug on the socks and shoes and tie the ribbons into his hair, staring out of his window as the surrounding houses began to look much dirtier and creepier and like they would fall apart soon. And scary people were sitting on the sidewalks, glaring at the car…

He wanted Maman. He wanted his maman to be like Antoine's maman… Someone who would snuggle him and kiss him and not go away all the time… He knew Jean would snuggle him and kiss him and read him bedtime stories and play games with him, because Jean loved him since he didn't have a maman like Antoine or Gill's mamans. But… then Jean would make him go to scary places and do scary, confusing things that hurt him…

And now they were pulling up in front of the building: a red building with a black sign that hung crookedly over the door and which had once read 'Paul's Place', but was now missing most of its letters. Jean carefully parked the car right in front and then opened his door and stepped outside, casually strolling over to Francis's side.

"All right, sweetheart. We don't have much time." He opened the door and offered his hand, staring impatiently down at the child.

Who slid his own tiny hand into the much larger, calloused palm, stepping outside of the car. Feeling the dress's fabric swish around his legs as he stared at the people that were staring right back at him.

"Good girl. You're being so good right now. If you're always good like this, I'll never leave you… And maybe your mommy will come back, okay?"

Francis lifted his blue eyes at that statement, catching the faintest outlines of a smile on the man's face. And then the man chuckled, bending down so they were at the same eye level. "How about I buy you ice cream tomorrow? As a special present. Since you're being such a good little girl."

Francis didn't respond for a moment… And then nodded once, watching as the man returned to his standing position. And then he obediently followed as he was led toward the terrifying building.

* * *

A/N: …Urgh.

Well, there's some of Francis's backstory for you… I'm going to go vomit now.

Yes, this was all planned out beforehand. I was actually wrestling with whether I was going to reveal his backstory now or wait until a later event. I obviously decided on now, partly because it helps with understanding his personality in Round & Round.

If you don't get the title… _Lolita_ is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. About a pedophile named Humbert Humbert who has an affair with a little girl that he nicknames Lolita. It's actually an amazing book, but…I can only recommend to the mature reader. Since it's very psychological and basically must be read with the understanding that the narrator is a piece of shit who's trying to make himself look better by telling his story in this 'oh, pity me' fashion… I ended up chucking the book at the wall at least three times while reading it because I ended up so disgusted/pissed off...

This was also inspired by the song "Moi…Lolita" by Alizée. Which is basically a song that is vaguely about Lolita. And it's sung in French… And is actually an incredibly beautiful song.


	5. 005: Seeking Solace

**005.**Seeking Solace**  
****Characters:**Francis & Antonio  
**Genre:** Friendship  
**Rating:**T  
**Time Period:**sequel to Lolita

* * *

**Seeking Real Love**

Antonio loved when Francis would come to spend the night at his house. They always had lots of fun together. Playing games outside until it grew dark, munching on churros while snuggled up in blankets in front of the television. It was always super super fun.

Francis's visits usually came without any sort of warning. Mamá would be working on making dinner when the doorbell would suddenly ring. Antonio would always run to answer it, and Francis would be there, standing on the front step with a little backpack dangling from his hand. Usually with his nanny, who would ask to see his madre. And Antonio would immediately hurry to get her.

And then, after the grown-ups talked for a little bit, Antonio's mamá would tell them that Francis could spend the night. And they'd immediately start playing together.

Today, they'd spent most of their afternoon having sword fights outside with sticks that they'd found in the woods. Francis usually won, although Antonio had gotten the better of him once or twice. (Although, Antonio had the vague feeling that some of those matches hadn't been entirely fair). It had just started getting dark when Mamá had called them inside to eat dinner—with ice cream as a special dessert.

Francis had been quieter than usual today, Antonio had noticed. He still smiled and laughed, but not as much as usual. And he sometimes seemed to be in pain. He was limping a little bit and he'd sometimes say that he was tired and that he wanted to sit down… Antonio would immediately sit down beside him when he said that, pressing up against his side so he wouldn't be lonely. And then Francis would smile and snuggle close and lean over to kiss him on the cheek or nose or forehead.

Mamá had come out to get them after a while—to call them in for dinner. During which, Francis continued to be quieter than normal. Which Mamá had definitely noticed… She watched him throughout the meal and then, while heading toward the kitchen, had paused by his seat before kneeling down and pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, frowning slightly. "Are you feeling okay?"

Francis's cheeks _immediately_ started flushing at that, his eyes widening comically as she brushed her hand against his skin.

"You feel a little warm." She frowned. And then removed her hand and pressed her forehead against his, smiling gently at the surprised and nervous expression that passed over his face. "You and Tonio should stay in for the rest of the night, sí? I don't want mi angelito to get sick."

Francis hurriedly nodded. His face was still rather red, even after she pulled back and walked out to the kitchen. He didn't even move for a few seconds, until he noticed Antonio watching him. Then he spun back toward the table and drained his entire glass of juice in a couple gulps.

She'd returned with two bowls full of chocolate ice cream with caramel sauce on top, which they'd taken out to the living room to eat while curled up on either side of her as she read them fairytales. Then they'd spent the next few hours playing with Antonio's toys, while Mamá sat on the couch and read her own book. Until she glanced up at the clock and told them that it was time to get ready for bed.

She'd then gone to the bathroom, filled the tub up with water as Antonio rummaged through the cupboards in search of his favourite shampoo, and then gave them both a kiss on the top of their heads before leaving to go to her own room.

"Look at the boat Tio gave me!" Antonio had stripped down completely without a second thought and was now going through his box of bath toys. He tugged a small wooden boat from the bottom of the box and spun around to show it to Francis. Who—he was surprised to see—hadn't removed any of his clothing so far.

He blinked in confusion at this. "Aren't you going to take a bath with me?"

Francis nodded, although he still didn't move to remove his clothing. He just stared at the bath while twisting the hem of his shirt around his fingers.

"Are you okay?" And now Antonio dropped the toy back into the box and hurried over to his friend, interlocking their fingers while flashing him his most reassuring smile. "I'll wash your hair for you, okay? You like that, sí?"

And now Francis finally smiled, nodding before stepping back and carefully undressing.

Antonio watched him carefully. Was Francis hurt? He winced sometimes when he moved and he was definitely acting a little strange… And Antonio froze as Francis removed his shirt. Because there were funny red marks all over him. On his chest and throat and now Antonio noticed that his wrists, which had formerly been covered up by long sleeves, were all red and raw and…

"You're hurt!" And now Antonio jerked forwards, grabbing his hands and staring down in horror at the injuries. Why was Francis hurt? Should he call Mamá? This must be why Francis had been acting funny all day. Poor Francis! He could feel tears stinging his eyes. He'd been being a terrible best friend, since he hadn't even noticed that Francis was hurt!

And then he was completely startled out of his thoughts. As Francis leaned forward and stopped whatever words were about to tumble out of his mouth by pressing their lips gently together.

It was very quick. Just a little peck against the lips, like the kisses that Francis often gave him on the cheek or nose. And then Francis took his hand and tugged him toward the bathtub.

And Antonio just followed, too startled to react outside of just following his friend's movements. He'd never been kissed there before… Didn't only grownups kiss on the mouth? …Then again, Francis did do funny things a lot…

But, and now he hurriedly jerked himself out of his startled thoughts, Francis was still hurt. Antonio frowned as he watched the boy finish pulling his clothes off, wincing a bit as he climbed up into the warm water.

He turned, reaching out toward the other boy. "Come on, Antoine. It's nothing."

Antonio hesitated, glancing toward the door that would lead out to the rest of the house. Francis was hurt, so he should get Mamá… Then she could put band-aids and kisses on his cuts, which would make him feel all better.

"Antoine~" But now Francis was frowning, curling up slightly at one end of the bathtub. Staring up at Antonio with big blue eyes.

"Sí." Antonio nodded, climbing up to join him in the bath, splashing some of the water over the edge in the process. He immediately settled himself between the other boy's legs, leaning back against his chest, snuggling back against him as Francis's arms snaked around him and hugged him close. "Silly Franny. How did you get all hurt?"

If he had been facing the other boy, he could have noticed the flicker of emotion that passed through his eyes at the statement. But he wasn't… Although he could feel how Francis's grip on him tightened slightly in that moment, squeezing him closer in a protective motion. But then Francis laughed and nuzzled his face against Antonio's hair. "I think a bunch of bugs bit me, maybe."

Hmm, that made sense. All of the little marks on his neck and chest. Although the cuts on his wrists were weird… Antonio didn't argue, though. Instead, he leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of shampoo. Strawberry-scented shampoo. His favourite.

"Duck your head under." He smiled as he turned around, soaping up his hands as Francis ducked his head under the water, just enough to get his hair wet.

"Poor Franny~" He reached up and began to gently rub his hands into Francis's hair, careful to keep the soap out of his eyes. Antonio sometimes got the soap into his own eyes and it _hurt _lots.

His eyes slipped back down to Francis's wrists. They'd need lots of band-aids to cover that…

"Antoine…Can I ask you a question?" And Antonio immediately froze at the surprising question. Francis suddenly sounded upset… He immediately began to run his hands more gently through his hair, sending the other boy his biggest, most reassuring smile.

"Of course, Franny."

Francis didn't continue for a few moments. Instead, he just stared at him through his pale eyelashes. Eyes looking rather sad… Antonio didn't like that. He didn't like it when Francis looked sad…

"Antoine, will you ever go away?"

Antonio blinked, hands stilling as he stared at his friend. Rather confused by the question. "Go away?"

"If you ever go away, will you promise to take me with you?"

Antonio blinked again. Go where? He wasn't going to go away. If he went away, then he'd have to leave Gilly and Lovi and everyone else! And what about Mamá?

But, Francis looked so sad and worried… So he immediately leaned close and rubbed their foreheads together. "I won't go away, Franny! I promise!"

Francis didn't look convinced. "But what if you do?"

"Then we can go together!" And now he leaned back, splashing his hands a couple times in the water for no real reason. "And we can bring Mamá and Gilly and Lovi and Feli and Gilly's madre and padre and Ludwig and Lovi's abuelo and mi tio and tia and their bebé and Big Mike and Kiku and Heracles and Sadiq and Arthur and…" He tried to think if he'd forgotten anyone. He didn't want to leave anyone behind! That wouldn't be nice. But that was a lot of people… They might have to get a bus. "And everyone!"

And Francis just stared at him for a few seconds. Before he started laughing. Hard. Head falling forward to rest against Antonio's shoulder, arms sliding around his waist and drawing him closer. And then he lifted his head and smiled, pecking him on the cheek. "Antoine~ Oui. We'll bring everyone."

"But it'd be silly to bring everyone. We should just stay here!"

"Oui." And there was just a moment, when Francis held onto him. Poor Francis. Antonio knew that Francis's madre and padre had gone away. But he would never ever do that! Because Francis was his best friend! Just like Gilly and Lovi!

After a few moments of that, Francis finally slid his arms away from Antonio's body and then reached out to take the shampoo bottle. "Now I'll wash your hair, oui?"

"Sí!" Antonio smiled, happy that Francis seemed to not be sad anymore. Francis should always be happy. Everyone should always be happy! "And you can use my tomato band-aids when we're done! I have lots and lots! And they're super special and make you get better really fast!"

Francis giggled again at this, pushing down on the other boy's shoulder in a sign that he should wet his hair as well. "Oui. Oui. Silly Antoine."

Antonio smiled. He was okay being silly, if it meant that Francis would always smile and laugh and be happy. That's all he really wanted…

* * *

A/N: So, it's a continuation of Lolita somewhat. I was going to move on and write this prompt with other characters, but I decided that I wanted to write something a little happier about this time period. Since at least Francis has Tonio and his mother to go to when he needs real love…

Plus, it helps with understanding later events involving Tonio & Francis in Round and Round.

And I really want to give little!Francis a hug right now… *snuggles* Poor baby. You need lots and lots of hugs and kisses right now.

How this goes with the prompt… Well, I feel like that's the whole reason Francis likes being around Tonio and his mom is because they provide solace for him. With everything that's going on with Jean and his parents never being around and anything.

Next prompt is **Break Away**. And I'm finally going to "break away" from this storyline...

*winks* See what I did there? *shot*


	6. 006: Break Away

A/N: I lied. People apparently want to know what happens with Jean… And I was going to make you wait to find out til a later number, but then I was like "Neh, that's just mean" so…last part of Francis and Jean's backstory stories. I could write more, but…I'm pretty sure that you really don't want to read them… *sniffles* (And I sure as heck don't want to write them, especially since writing this made me start crying…)

Warning again. This is depressing. Supremely depressing. It is also **OT **again. Very OT.

* * *

**006. **Break Away**  
Characters: **Francis & Jean  
**Genre:** Drama, Tragedy, Angst  
**Rating: **OT  
**Time Period: **about a yearafter Lolita

* * *

**Alone**

The vase smashed against the wall above his head. Shattering into a million tiny pieces, showering him with little fragments…

_Maman. Maman. Maman. Maman. _

Why wasn't Maman here? He was scared. He was scared and Jean was so angry and he was _scared _and why wasn't anyone coming? And Jean was going to hurt him. And he just wanted Maman. He wanted _Maman_.

He was crying, unable to keep the tears from streaming down his cheeks. Jean was going to be angrier. Jean was going to hurt him and then he was going to leave and he was scared.

"You fucking brat!" He curled up tighter as the boot slammed against his side, knocking his body into the wall. He couldn't cry out. He couldn't… Why wasn't anyone coming? "You told someone! Didn't you? I told you what would happen if you told someone!"

"Non… Non. Non. Non. Non. Non." He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't move and his sobs were choking him and now Jean bent down and grabbed his wrist, dragging him off the ground so he was dangling above the floor, bare feet desperately attempting to find something to hold onto.

"Fucking brat. Fucking ungrateful brat! After everything I did for you, you go off and tell someone!"

"I didn't!" And now he couldn't see, everything was blurred and his entire body hurt. "I didn't! I didn't!"

"Then why was that bitch looking at me like that? You told that fucking little albino bitch, didn't you?" And now his wrist was released and he fell back against the floor, head slamming hard against the wall as he fell.

Francis didn't know why Jean was so angry. He didn't understand why Jean was so angry with him. He hadn't done anything. He hadn't said anything to anyone. He'd promised Jean that he wouldn't, because if he did, then Jean would leave him alone again.

He'd been playing with Gill earlier, just playing tag out in the gardens. He had just managed to finally catch her and was holding her down and tickling her, amused by her screeches and giggles and attempts to wriggle free.

They'd just been playing. And then they'd suddenly been interrupted by the sound of Jean's voice. Furious. Booming at them from only a few feet away. "Francis!" Sounding angrier than Francis had ever heard before.

Francis had immediately jerked away from Gill at that, immediately jumping up to his feet. She had just pulled herself up into a seated position, staring up at Jean with wide, confused eyes. Francis knew that Gill didn't know very much about Jean. She'd seen him a few times, but only for a few seconds when he came to pick Francis up from school or the park or places like that.

She just stared at him, obviously confused about who this was and why he was so angry.

And Francis had been scared. More scared of Jean that he'd ever been before. Because…because… There was something about the way that Jean had been looking at them. No, not them… Something about the way that Jean had been looking at _Gillian_. Like—like he hated her.

Like he was going to hurt her.

Like…

Francis had automatically moved to stand between them at that moment, hiding Gilly from Jean's eyes. Those scary eyes that were so angry and…and… And he didn't know why Jean was looking at her like that, but he had to keep Gilly safe. He couldn't let Jean see her. He'd try to hurt her.

"What are you doing, _Francis_?" Jean's voice was harsh and cold and furious. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to play today."

"But—" Gillian had stood up by this point and he now felt her hand gripping his sleeve, her body pressed against his back. Obviously scared. Which, made Francis feel a little twist in his stomach…

He needed to be brave. He needed to be brave for Gill. He couldn't be scared of Jean. "I—I wanted to play. And—and I did my schoolwork and Nanny said that we could play…"

"Stop being mean!" Francis had almost had a heart attack at that moment, when Gill suddenly stepped in front of him, glaring up at the man while resting her hands on her hips. Voice shaking slightly, but Francis could see that she was determined to stand up to him. "Leave Francis alone, you meanie!"

Which just made Jean look angrier. His hands had clenched into fists…

Francis had hurriedly reached forward and grabbed Gillian's hand, tugging her back. "Gilly…" He was scared. He knew that something was wrong. Something was wrong with Jean. "Gilly, I think you should go home, oui?"

"Why?" He'd known that she would say that. He'd squeezed her hand in response, sending her his most expressive look. A look that he hoped explained… He needed her to leave. She _couldn't _stay.

And it had managed to get across to her. He'd seen her eyes flicker toward Jean, suspicions flashing through them. But then she'd nodded, squeezing his hand as tightly as she could before she'd released and then ran out of the garden, down toward the path that would lead off the property and to the ice cream shoppe where she'd call her parents and then wait until they came to pick her up.

Where she'd be safe from Jean's anger.

And Jean was very angry. As shown when she disappeared, as he immediately reached down and grabbed Francis's wrist in a vice-like grip. Dragging him bodily into the house and then up to his bedroom.

Where he was immediately thrown against the wall. Body crumpled into a heap against the white wall as Jean turned and locked the door, the click sending a jolt of fear through Francis's spine.

And now Francis was shivering. Terrified. Wondering what Jean was going to do to him. Wishing that someone would come. One of the other servants, even. But Jean wouldn't be yelling at him if there were any chance that one of the other servants could overhear.

"You told the bitch. I should have fucking killed her. Fucking bitch…" Francis curled up closer to the wall, too scared to do anything else.

_Maman._ He wanted Antoine's maman. She'd come and keep him safe and she wouldn't let anything hurt him.

And now he realized that Jean had quieted.

The whole room was suddenly still and calm and silent.

Francis didn't dare move, though. In a way, this was even scarier. Because he didn't know what was happening. Was Jean still mad? Was he leaving? Maybe he'd already gone. Maybe he was all alone…

And then he heard footsteps. Soft footsteps walking toward him. Pausing, the rustle of cloth. And then…

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you."

Francis immediately shivered at the sudden change in tone. Not angry anymore. But soft and overly-gentle and now hands were slowly pulled his arms away from his face.

"I have something for you to drink, my beautiful little princess." A little glass of clear liquid was pressed into his hands. And Jean was now staring at him with lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Drink it."

His hands were shaking. He almost spilled… But if he spilled, then Jean would be even angrier. So he pressed the rim against his lips and drank. And he wanted to spit it out, the burning feeling against his tongue and running down his throat and he immediately coughed.

"It's good, isn't it?"

He felt sick. His stomach was tossing and turning, but he nodded. And then Jean removed his little hand from the glass and used his own hand to tilt it and press it more firmly against his lips.

"Drink it all."

He obeyed, choking a few times as Jean refused to give him a chance to breathe. Choking and coughing, much of the drink spilling from his lips and running down his chin, mixing with the salty tears that had continued flowing down his cheeks.

"Good. Good." Jean was running a hand along his spine, soothing and humming… "You should get dressed, though, dearest. Your clothes are all dirty after playing with that little brat."

He couldn't stop crying. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't stop crying. He wanted Maman. He was scared and he didn't want to… But he had to. He had to or Jean would leave, so he stood up and walked over to the closet. But he felt dizzy and sick and he couldn't walk straight and he finally collapsed, the entire room spinning.

"Oh, poor love." And he was being picked up. Although he was barely aware of the feeling. "Never mind changing. We'll just get into bed now. There's no point in changing anyway, really."

"Non… Non… Non…" He could barely hear his own voice. Why wouldn't anyone come?

"Now. Now. Don't argue. Little princesses shouldn't argue."

_Non. Non. Non. Non. Non…_

~.~.~

He woke up hours later.

Entire body screaming in agony.

Trembling.

He couldn't stop shaking. He couldn't stop shaking and he couldn't stop crying.

And Jean was gone.

And he was alone…

* * *

A/N: And that is all I am doing with Francis and Jean. It will come up again later, but… no more actual writing it from little!Francis's POV. I don't think I could take it. It's just…incredibly heartbreaking…

Just to explain what exactly happened, since it may not be obvious… By this point, Jean has basically ended up getting more and more paranoid that someone is going to find out about what he's doing to Francis. Particularly with Gilly, since it's pretty obvious that she doesn't trust/like him. So he thinks that Francis has broken his promise and told her… He gets really angry and decides to take advantage of him one last time after drugging him. And then he just leaves in the middle of the night and no one has any idea where he went.

How it relates to the theme is pretty obvious, I think. They've finally broken away from each other, Thank God.

Next one is **Heaven**.


	7. 007: Heaven

**007.** Heaven**  
****Characters: **Gill, Francis, Arthur, Antonio, Feliciana, Lovina & others  
**Genre: **Humour/Friendship  
**Rating: **K  
**Time Period: **post-Her Reputation Precedes Her

* * *

**Joy to the World and All that Jazz**

Miss Terrison was in heaven right now. She was entirely relaxed for the first time in what felt like centuries, leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed. Listening to the sounds of little children preparing for their Christmas pageant.

"I've got baby Jesus!"

"Gillian Beilschmidt! Put him back right this moment!"

"Lovi~ you're such a cute sheepy!"

"Stupid!"

"Ve~ Baah! Ludwig, Baah with me!"

Ah, music to her ears. As long as _she _wasn't the one who had to deal with it. Hiring a teaching assistant had been the best idea that she'd ever had. _He _could deal with the little monsters for her. She would just be sitting here, grading papers... Or doing whatever it was that she had told him that she would be doing.

"All right, places everyone! Gillian, put baby Jesus back in his manger!" She felt somewhat bad for Annette, though. As _she_ had been selected to run this thing and was currently standing in front of the stage, attempting to keep the attention of a bunch of hyperactive kindergarteners and Pre-K'ers. And one preschooler whose grandfather had requested that they let her be in the play with her sister.

A Christmas pageant. Whoever had decided that this was a good idea deserved to be locked in a classroom with these demons for a day... She wasn't entirely sure _who _had actually come up with the idea, actually. She'd just been told a few weeks ago.

Anyway, Miss Terrison decided that she might as well open her eyes and look over the groups of chaos. The students were currently all standing in clumps on the stage—angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, sheep, and three wise men. And a doll to represent baby Jesus, who was currently the prize in an impromptu tug of war match between Gillian and her teaching assistant.

"Let. _Go._ Gillian. We need to give the stupid doll back to...ugh...Mary and Joseph."

Honestly, you would think a full-grown man would be able to wrestle a doll away from a little girl.

And speaking of Mary and Joseph... Miss Terrison glanced toward where the two children were standing next to the slightly off-centre manger. Actually, they weren't really standing. 'Mary' was instead clinging to 'Joseph's' arm with a rather creepy, possessive expression, while 'Joseph' was attempting to escape, looking utterly terrified.

"Married married married..."

"Nyet!"

Casting Natalya as Mary and Ivan as Joseph hadn't been the greatest idea that Annette had ever had, but she wasn't going to get involved.

No, she was just going to sit here and watch the chaos unfold...

~.~.~

Arthur was not happy. Not happy at all.

No one in his situation _would_ be happy. As he was currently standing in the middle of a stage, dressed up like a stupid angel. With wings strapped to his back that kept hitting things whenever he tried to move, a white sheet wrapped around his body in a way that made it hard to walk, and a halo that kept slipping down.

"Okay, kids!" the Pre-K teacher was still attempting to get everyone to listen. Not that it was working, as everyone was too excited to listen. Besides, Gillian was still fighting with Mr. Watanuki, Miss Terrison's helper-teacher, over the baby Jesus doll in the middle of the stage, so it wasn't like they could do much anyway.

"Bonjour, Arthur!" And Arthur suddenly felt a sharp tug on his wings. And coupled with that froggy voice...

He immediately spun around, not even noticing as his opposite wing knocked right into Yao, who had been standing behind him, attempting to straighten his wise man crown. "Frog!"

Francis grinned brightly in response. "Bonjour!"

"You have five seconds to let go of my wing, bloody frog." He attempted to sound intimidating, although the effect was rather ruined when his halo suddenly fell in front of his eyes.

Stupid angel costume.

And then Francis tugged on his wing again.

Now, Arthur definitely thought that he had lots of patience. But he was tired and irritated and his stupid angel costume was being annoying (and of course _Francis's_ angel costume looked completely perfect), so that simple tug was definitely the last straw.

"Bloody frog!" And Arthur immediately threw himself right on top of the other boy, kicking and punching and scratching anywhere he could reach.

"Ow~!" Which startled Francis for a moment, but then he started fighting back. Arthur definitely had the advantage right now, though, since Francis had managed to get tangled up in his own bed sheet and wings. Which Arthur took advantage of by burying his hands in Francis's stupid, golden-coloured hair...

And he tugged. _Hard_.

"Ow!"

"Arthur! Francis!" Except now, he was suddenly being lifted off Francis. He kicked at whoever was trying to do that, managing to get him in the stomach, as evidenced by the sudden 'Oof!' of pain. And when he rose, some of Francis's stupid hair came with him, which made Francis immediately start crying as he grabbed at his head.

Hmph, served the stupid frog right...

~.~.~

Well, that was one crisis that had been averted. Miss Terrison glanced down at her papers. Gillian's... You could tell because she hadn't actually answered any of the questions. She'd just drawn little yellow chicks along the sides. And signed her name as 'Awesome'.

Mr. Watanuki would have to have another teacher's conference with her parents, it seemed... Right now, he was attempting to hold Arthur still and keep the kicking feet away from his stomach. While simultaneously staring up into the rafters as if wondering whether it would be inappropriate to hang himself from one of them...

She understood the feeling.

"All right, students!" And Annette seemed to have decided that she was just going to keep moving forward. Even if one of their angels was currently screaming a rather impressive number of insults at everyone in his near vicinity, another was sitting on the floor and rubbing at his head while sniffling and murmuring to himself in French, and the last was sitting on a bale of hay, playing with a baby chick that she'd managed to sneak in somehow... She didn't bother questioning how Gillian managed to smuggle her pet inside the school anymore.

The shepherds and sheep were at least in place. Antonio was standing proudly at one end of the stage, holding his staff tightly in his hand as if afraid that he might lose it. Ludwig was standing beside him, looking less assured of himself and more like he wished he could be somewhere else. And Lovina and Feliciana were both sitting on the floor, dressed up in little sheep costumes. Feli going "Baah!" every few minutes, while Lovina was pouting with her arms crossed over her chest...

"All right, let's start with the angel scene! Gillian, go stand over with Francis and Arthur. Antonio, Ludwig, get ready for your part... Lovina, stop trying to take your ears off."

"Stupid!"

Annette sighed, and seemed to decide that it would just be easier to continue without necessarily making sure that everything was okay. This was just a rehearsal anyway.

"All right. Now, 'there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.' Ludwig, Antonio, watch over your sheep... Lovina and Feliciana, just 'baah'..."

"Baah!" Feliciana responded happily, obviously pleased with herself.

Lovina just scowled in response.

Close enough. "'And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.'"

And this was the part where it all went to hell.

"I am an awesome angel!" As someone had decided that said 'angel of the Lord' was going to be played by Gillian. "An awesome _scary _angel!"

"Ay, Dios mio!" And Antonio responded by acting 'sore afraid' by throwing his staff onto the ground and then falling down after it...

Unfortunately for him, however, he had thrown his staff close to his rather irritated sheep.

Who immediately crawled forward and grabbed it.

And turned against her shepherd.

"Ow! Lovi! Don't hit me!"

"Ve~!"

"Stupid!"

If there was one thing that Miss Terrison had learned in the past three months of teaching, it was self-preservation. Which was why she now stood up, clutching her papers tightly against her chest as she watched Mr. Watanuki release Arthur and run to try to get the staff away from the enraged pre-kindergartener. Unfortunately, allowing Arthur the perfect opportunity to attack the French student again.

And Ivan was suddenly running across the stage, Natalya following him with baby Jesus held tightly in her arms. "Married!"

"Nyet!"

Self-preservation. Because in this school, it was every man or woman for him or herself.

* * *

A/N: Mehhh... I don't like this one very much... ;P Ah well, the mental image was cute enough that I wrote it anyway. I kind of just cut it off, though, since I was getting tired of it.

And yes, I totally went there with Mr. Watanuki. It's muse-chan's fault. She mentioned something about him being Gill's teacher at some point and the image wouldn't leave my head... And, Miss Terrison only had the kids for three months and she turned this devious...so she totally would ask for an aid that she would dump her work on. (Watanuki is from CLAMP's manga 'xxxHOLIC' (and shows up in others, but he's mostly in 'xxxHOLIC') btw)

Just imagining little Feli and Lovi dressed up as sheep is kind of adorable, just saying...

How it relates to the prompt... Heaven made me think angels and angels made me think Christmas... And Christmas made me think of failed Christmas pageants, even if a school would never actually let this happen nowadays. *shrugs* Whatever. Text was taken from King James version of Luke 2 of the Bible.

Next prompt: Innocence.


	8. 008: Innocence

A/N: Okay, so just as a warning. This chappy is completely OC-focused. I had a different idea that actually was Hetalia-related, but...it was refusing to cooperate and I want to get on to chappy 9, since that one is fluffy beyond all measure. Soooo... you get a random chapter of randomness instead.

And just so you aren't confused. Mickey is Big Mike's nickname when she was a little girl.

* * *

**008.** Innocence  
**Characters:** Big Mike & lobsters  
**Genre:** Fluff & Friendship  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period:** mid-1940's

* * *

**Of Lobsters and Rescue Missions**

They were beautiful.

They were the most beautiful things that she had ever _ever _seen.

And there were so _many_ of them too. Probably _hundreds and millions_, climbing all over each other in the water. She wondered if they were a family—that big one over there was probably the daddy and then the littler one near him was the mommy. And then the rest were babies and aunts and uncles and cousins… She pressed her forehead against the glass, staring at the creatures with bright, intrigued eyes.

Why hadn't Mommy told her that they had pretty animals in the grocery store? She'd only found them because she had gotten bored waiting for Mommy and decided to go exploring by herself.

"Mickey? Mickey, where are you?" And there Mommy was. Mickey didn't bother answering, knowing that she'd find her eventually. "Michelle Jane Miller! If you don't come here right now—"

She didn't get to finish her threat, as she now walked into sight of her daughter. Mickey glanced up for a moment, but then quickly returned her attention to the animals crawling around in the big glass box. One of them was looking at her now. She noticed that it had long stringy things sticking out that seemed to be waving at her, saying hello. She immediately giggled and waved back.

"You shouldn't wander off, sweetie." Mickey turned her head to watch as her mother knelt down beside her, staring at the animals too. A faint smile twitching over her lips. "Do you like the lobsters?"

Lobsters… Mickey immediately nodded, reaching out to press her palm against the glass. "Pretty lobsters."

"They are pretty, aren't they?" Mommy immediately flashed her a tender smile, using the hand not burdened with groceries to push a clump of blonde curls behind her ear.

"Want one, Mommy!" And now Mickey stood, rising onto her tippy-toes in an attempt to reach the top of the box. She wanted one of the pretty lobsters. He could live in the bathtub and she'd share her dinner with him—the lobster could eat the yucky foods like peas and broccoli. And they could be best friends!

And Mommy's smile suddenly disappeared, and she almost looked worried. "No. No, sweetie. That's not why the lobsters are there."

Why else would they have lobsters in the store? Mickey ducked away from her mother when she attempted to take her hand, moving to the other side of the tank. "I'll take care of lobster, Mommy! I _promise_."

"Excuse me, ma'am?" And the little girl was startled by a voice coming from above her head; she looked up to see a man standing above her, wearing funny green gloves. And looking at her with a mean expression. "Is there a problem?"

"No. No." And she had been sufficiently distracted, so Mommy was easily able to grab her hand and pull her away from the lobster's box. "My daughter just likes to look at the lobsters."

Mickey frowned as she glanced between the man and her mother. Were the lobsters his? Why wouldn't he let her have just _one_? After all, he had so many—hundreds and _billions_!

"Hmm…" He looked at her, still not smiling. She immediately responded by frowning back; she had a much better frown, too. She and her friend Tommy from down the street had frowning contests all the time and she _always _won.

This man was a super mean man, she decided. The pretty lobsters shouldn't have such a mean man watching them… They'd be _much _happier if they came home with her. And if she brought _all _of them home, then they wouldn't be lonely because they'd have all of their entire family with them.

It was a good plan. Now, all she had to figure out was how to get the pretty lobsters away from the mean man.

…Which was going to be difficult, as Mommy was now starting to pull her away. Her grip not even a tiny bit loose; Mickey immediately whined in displeasure, attempting to free herself. "No! Mommy!"

"Michelle Jane, you are going to stop whining right this moment. We are going home now and that is _final_. And you are going to help me make dinner for Daddy without _one complaint_."

And she knew that when Mommy used that tone of voice, she'd better listen.

Still, she did pout and glare over her shoulder at the mean man. Making a mental promise to the pretty lobsters that she would return soon and save them _all_.

~.~.~

There were many things that you could say about Mickey Miller. Many people's lists would probably be heavily focused upon the negatives—possibly justifiably, possibly not—but there were lots of positives too. For example, she was a hard-worker; she wouldn't let defeat get her down, instead she would work even harder to complete whatever task she had set out on. Plus, she was incredibly intelligent for a five-year-old. Almost always a good thing…

Unless you happened to be her father, who walked into the bathroom late one night to find his daughter standing beside the bathtub. Barefoot with mud caked up to her knees, Sunday dress muddy and torn. Little arms straining as she lifted a bucket up onto the edge of the tub and, before he could react, immediately dumped an entire bucketful of sand into the bathtub. Which was already filled almost to the brim with a mixture of sand and water.

"Mi—Mickey—Mickey—what are you—you—" He couldn't speak. "Wha—what are you _doing_?"

"Lobster home."

…And Mr. Miller remained speechless. Even as he lifted his daughters into his arms—ignoring her protests—carried her into the kitchen so he could wash her legs in the sink, and then tucked her into bed.

And then proceeded to return to the bathroom for what would be a long night, cleaning out the 'lobster home'.

~.~.~

Mickey was not going to let a little stumbling block ruin her plan. She couldn't understand _why_ Daddy had destroyed her lobster home that she'd worked so hard on, but she could always make a new one once she had her lobsters. She knew that Daddy wouldn't be mean and not let her give the lobsters somewhere to live, after all.

She just had to get the lobsters out of their tank and lead them home.

Which wouldn't be too difficult, she was sure. She'd already accomplished her first task after all: escaping from her mother after entering the grocery store. Mommy had started looking at the yucky vegetables, which she had immediately taken as a sign to run off and make her way back to the pretty lobsters.

She had even decided to reward herself by taking a few minutes just to watch the pretty lobsters before she helped them escape from the mean man. Who hadn't shown up yet.

There were less lobsters this time; other people must have taken some of them home to live in their bathtubs, she supposed. Why hadn't the mean man let _her _have one, then? She even had a super _big _bathtub. _And _she'd made them a lobster home. She bet the other people hadn't thought to make a lobster home before they took the lobsters home.

Stupid meanie man.

Anyway… She took a step back from the tank, smiling as a few of the lobsters crawled over toward her. She could tell that they would be best friends already.

But first, she had to figure out how to climb up onto the tank… There wasn't a top, so it would be super easy once she climbed up. She glanced around, noting that no one was around right now. Which was good, because otherwise more mean people would probably try to stop her from saving the lobsters.

The tank was near all the meats, she now noticed. So if she climbed up onto the meats, she should be able to reach the top of the lobster's box…

And she immediately proceeded to do so. The next few minutes serving as a harrowing adventure. During which, she climbed up, sliding a few times in her Mary Janes, almost falling, but managing to catch herself…

It didn't take too long before she had managed to climb up onto the meats. And now she could stare down into the water, down at her lobster friends. She dipped her hand inside... And jerked it out almost immediately. It was cold—why was the lobsters' water cold? The lobsters were going to get sick! She immediately made a mental note to make sure that the lobsters' house would be nice and warm. Poor lobsters.

Stupid mean man.

Although, getting the lobsters out of the tank could be difficult…

But Mickey definitely _definitely _was going to do it!

Although, before that… She should probably remove her shoes. Since Mommy would get very very angry if she got her nice new shoes wet.

~.~.~

"I am never taking you to the grocery store again."

"But, Mommy~ He's a meanie man! He makes the lobsters sick!"

Mrs. Miller was not happy. Not happy at all. Since she was currently driving her car home with absolutely no groceries in the back seat and with a sopping wet little girl sniffling in the passenger's seat. Crying—not because she was currently completely _soaked_ from head to toe—but crying because she hadn't managed to succeed in her goal of…

Helping an entire tank of lobsters escape from the grocery store.

"Sweetie, you can't climb into the lobster tank…"

"But they're _sad_, Mommy!"

Mrs. Miller was pretty sure that her heart had stopped beating for a few minutes when she had turned the corner of an aisle in the grocery store, expecting to see her daughter pressed up against the glass of the lobster tank, and had instead seen her daughter standing waist-deep inside the lobster tank. Clutching a _live lobster _to her chest.

_Nobody_ was going to believe her when she told them about this.

"Sweetie…" She was trying to think of a way to respond that would dissuade her daughter from trying again. Because she _would _try again. And again. And again. "Sweetie, you aren't big enough to take care of a lobster yet."

And now her gaze was met with very wide sky blue eyes. Which looked absolutely horrified by her words. "I am big enough, Mommy! I can take care of lobsters! I can! I _promise_!"

"Once you're older, Mickey. Then you can have a lobster, okay?" May God forgive her for lying. Then again, God probably understood that there were some things that a mother could not help but lie about. Lobsters being one of them. "How about this? I'll make you a lobster. A cute little toy lobster. And he can be your friend until you're big enough for a real one."

Mickey immediately frowned at this… Looking rather displeased. But then she nodded reluctantly. "I get to name him!"

"Of course. He'll be yours." Now she had to figure out how to sew a _lobster_. "You can name him whatever you want…"

"Ned."

…

"Ned?"

Mickey immediately nodded, looking very determined. "Ned."

"Okay. You can name him Ned." Sometimes she worried a little bit about her daughter. Actually, she often worried about her daughter…

Then again, things could be worse.

Because at least she hadn't found out what people _actually _did with the lobsters that they bought from the grocery store… Yet.

May God have mercy on the world when that day comes.

* * *

A/N: Hehe. Little Mike is so _cute_… With her lobster obsession. Poor parents… xD Poor poor parents.

And when Leon said Ned wasold, he wasn't joking. Even considering the fact that Big Mike fixed it up before she gave it to little Scott and Leon's mom fixed it up before she gave it to Leon… that thing is _ancient._

Oh, and just so you know. Benny _wasn't _a gift from her parents. Big Mike actually got Benny as an anniversary present after she and her husband were married. Because he was awesome.

And now, I am going to explain to you guys _why_ Big Mike is called Big Mike. Because people ask me this a lot and I feel like I keep giving different answers because… I hadn't really thought about it til people asked, lol.

Okay, so to begin. She was named Michelle Jane Miller when she was born. But was nicknamed Mickey by her parents almost from day one… Since they thought it was cute nickname. That name stuck for pretty much her entire childhood until she was like 10 or so, when she started wanting to be called Mikey. She hung out almost entirely with boys, so it makes sense. Then, when she was a teenager, she shortened it to Mike. Which is what her adult friends call her now.

How she got called Big Mike… She was nicknamed that by the police. Because she has _always _loved messing with authority figures, breaking the law, being a complete rebel. And when she was in her late teens, early twenties… she basically terrorized the poor officers. Who started referring to her as "Big Mike". The reasoning behind that nickname isn't entirely clear, since no one really remembers who started it. But it's probably at least partly just due to the fact that she's such a gigantic pain to them. Although, there's also the possibility that it arose from the fact that there happened to be a marvelous show running during their childhoods AND during the time when she was being a massive pain in which the episodes were called "Big (insert word here)". Sooo, it could have come from that. Possibly. Who knows?

(And if anyone can tell me what show that was, then you can have another virtual cookie… Haha. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I kind of _loooooooove _old crime shows/movies/books/radio shows).

I also love Big Mike. xD She's amazing.

And how it relates to the topic… Eh, little kids generally are just innocent and adorable. So yeah. Next one is **DRIVE**_._Which is gonna be a fun one… xD


	9. 009: Drive

**009****.** Drive  
**Characters:** Feliciana & Ludwig  
**Genre:** Friendship  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** soon after Feliciana turns 16

* * *

**Car Meet Ditch. Ditch, Car.**

"Ve~ Ludwig is so nice~ I'm so happy that Ludwig is teaching me to drive!"

"Keep your eyes on the road, Feli!"

"Ve~ sorry, Ludwig!"

Ludwig could honestly say that he had never been more terrified for his life as he was at this exact moment. And that was saying something, since he had been put in more death-defying situations in the past seventeen years of his life than was healthy for anyone's sanity. Mostly courtesy of his _darling_ sister…

He had never imagined that teaching someone how to drive could possibly be more terrifying than being taught how to ride a bicycle by being pushed down a hill by a smirking sister. But, apparently it was. He jerked his arms over to grab at the steering wheel that was beginning to slowly turn toward the forest lining the road. Feliciana apparently not even noticing that they were slowly inching toward a flaming death…

He should have written a will. Making sure that Gillian didn't get _any _of his possessions if he happened to die today.

And now Feliciana turned—taking her eyes off the road _again_—to give him a slightly perplexed look. Before she slowly remarked, "Ve~ um, Ludwig is a _very _good teacher. But, would it be okay if we started going faster now? Per favore?"

Faster? Ludwig's heart began to race in terror as he glanced toward the speedometer. They were _already_ going at 30 MPH! That was _already _way too fast for someone who was _just _learning how to drive!

He wasn't sure what he should say, though. Feli kept turning to look up at him with pleading eyes, somehow miraculously keeping from slamming into any trees. He nervously glanced in the rearview mirror… To where Feli's grandfather was fast asleep, leaning against the window.

Wasn't _he _supposed to be teaching Feli how to drive? Ludwig had only had his license for a year. He shouldn't be teaching anyone how to drive…

"Um, maybe we can start going a little bit faster…"

Wrong thing to say. As Feliciana immediately squealed in excitement and, before Ludwig could say anything about pressing on the gas pedal _slowly_, they were rocketing down the road…

And Ludwig screeched at a pitch that Gillian would never have let him live down if she had been with them.

~.~.~

"Ve~ Sorry, Ludwig. Are you angry?"

Ludwig wondered if it was possible to have a heart attack at age seventeen. He could just imagine the obituary now. Dying of a heart attack while attempting to teach his…best friend?…to drive a car.

Gill would probably want to write his obituary. And plan the funeral. She'd probably show a slideshow of embarrassing pictures. Even in death, Ludwig was sure that he'd never be able to escape from her…

"I'm…fine…"

"Ve~ you look kind of sick…"

Ludwig wondered how in the _world _Mr. Roma had managed to sleep through…_that_. His screaming and praying and _"Slow down, Feli! For Gott's sake, slow down!" _

If it weren't for the fact that he could plainly see the man's chest rising and falling, he would definitely be suspecting that he was dead. He supposed that he could be in a coma.

Anyway, he had finally managed to convince Feliciana to slow down—incredibly reluctantly—and now they were inching down the road at a pace probably just below walking. Feliciana looked a little bit nervous—probably an after-effect of being screamed at for the last ten to fifteen minutes.

And Ludwig was quite sure that he was dying. Of a heart attack.

"Ve~ should we stop?"

That would be nice. Stopping. They could just pull over to the side of the road and take a little rest. Maybe they could even call it a day. He could drive them home. "Ja." He nodded, attempting not to sound _too _relieved. "You did…very well, Feli."

Her expression lit up at that. Eyes brightening at the praise. "Ve~ really?"

"Ja." This didn't really count as lying; he was quite sure of that. "Now, why don't you drive off the road and we can take a short break and then go home?"

"Ve~" She sent him a slightly puzzled look, but then smiled and nodded. "Okay, Ludwig!"

And suddenly turned the steering wheel _sharply_ to the right. Sending the vehicle right off the road and into the grass. Bouncing a few feet at the sudden shift in terrain.

Before they suddenly went _down. Hard_. _Crashing_. And they were both thrown forward; Ludwig wasn't entirely sure who it was that screamed… Probably both of them.

…

And then there was silence.

…

And they weren't dead.

…

This fact took a lot longer than it should have to make its way through Ludwig's mind. He just sat there, heart pounding, attempting to breathe…

What had just _happened_? He looked out of the window. To see tall grass… They were in a ditch; it looked like. Feliciana had—

Feli. His thoughts were immediately derailed by the thought of her. He hurriedly turned in his seat, momentarily glimpsing Mr. Roma out of the corner of his eye… And he was _still asleep_. _How?_

And Feliciana was sitting there. Her eyes wide, looking completely terrified. But thankfully _unhurt_…

"Are you okay?" He leaned over to unbuckle her seatbelt—which he could see was digging into her shoulder and throat. "Are you hurt?"

He was leaning slightly over her, so he could watch her expression as she blinked once. Twice. And then suddenly her eyes scrunched up and, before Ludwig could say another word, she burst into loud, frightened sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Ludwig! I didn't mean to! I thought—I thought you meant to go _off_ the road—I didn't mean to! I'm _sorry_!"

And Ludwig honestly had no idea what to do. He'd never been good at comforting anyone, after all. Even when he was a kid, that had always been Gill's job. So he hesitated for a moment and then rested his hand on her wrist in what he hoped was a reassuring motion. "It's okay, Feli. It's okay…"

Unfortunately for Ludwig, he had always had wretched luck.

And, while screams of terror and the sudden jolts of your car rolling into a ditch were not enough to wake up Feliciana's grandfather, the sound of her crying _was_… And when he opened his eyes to see her sobbing and Ludwig leaning over her and touching her wrist in what _could _be interpreted as a restrictive motion…

Well…

Ludwig had _never _been thrown out of a vehicle before.

Although at least he could thank God that it hadn't been moving at the time.

* * *

A/N: Fluff after the sadness of Behind the Veil.

Based on a true story. Because… Well, I've only had my license for 6 months, but I _already _have multiple my-car-meets-ditch stories. Although this one actually took place the 2nd day after I got my permit. Like…two years ago? Not exactly how I wrote it, but the 'why you fell into a ditch part' was exactly how it happened. My dad told me to drive off the road (because I'd accidentally turned on the windshield wipers and couldn't figure out how to turn them off) and I took him literally. So I drove off into what _looked _like a patch of grass. Turned out the grass was hiding a ditch… Almost totalled our van… Sigh.

In happier random news, guess what I had today? Maple soda. Seriously. Our school had a bunch of summer camps out giving their spiel about how you should work for them and my friend was all like "Come with me and meet the dudes that I worked for!" so I went. And the table next to theirs had MAPLE SODA! Like fizzy maple syrup. So strange. It was pretty good, except that it was so sweet that I could only drink a little bit.

Random trivia facts of the day are random.

Next prompt is **BREATHE AGAIN**. Which I have no idea what I'm doing for that, so...it might be a while before I write it.


	10. 010: Breathe Again

**010.** Breathe Again  
**Characters:** Mattie, Ally & Kumawhat'shisname  
**Genre:** Humour  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period:** after Awesome Night

* * *

**The Closeted and the Superhero**

"Okay, what about this?" Mattie took a deep breath and puffed her chest out in an attempt to make herself look more confident.

She was well aware of the fact that she was definitely not successful in doing so... "Hey, Mom." She attempted to throw a calm, collected smirk at her reflection. She loved having a full-length mirror in her bedroom. Where else would she be able to awkwardly practice these sorts of things without anyone seeing her?

Her attempt at a smirk looked more like she was in pain, so she hurriedly just slipped into her normal, rather nervous expression. "So...um...this may come as a bit of a shock for you. But, guess what? You're never going to have to worry about me getting pregnant and having to drop out of high school!" Insert pained, nervous giggle.

Pause.

Before turning and throwing herself onto her bed, groaning in irritation. "That was even worse than the last one!"

Kumajimi—or whatever her dog's name was; she could never remember, which was pretty pathetic, considering the fact that _she _had named him—stared up at her from where he'd been sitting on the rug, watching her humiliate herself with a blank, rather confused expression. Like he wasn't entirely sure who she was...

Why in the world was this so difficult? Her mom loved her. Her sister loved her. It wasn't like they were going to kick her out of the house just because she happened to not be...well...straight.

Ally would probably have a complete _freak-out_ once she found out _which_ girl it was that she happened to be dating. But that would just be because Ally wasn't exactly Gill's number one fan. To put it into the nicest terms.

"Maybe I should just come right out and say it." She jumped up and turned back toward the mirror, setting her hands on her hips in another attempt to look more confident. How in the world could Gill do this all the time? Attempting to assert herself made her feel sick to her stomach. "All right. Mom, Ally, I know that this will come as a bit of a shock to you. But I really want you to support me in this." Another deep, calming breath. "I wanted to tell you that I'm a lesbian."

"Who's a lesbian?"

Insert minor heart attack here. Mattie shrieked at the top of her lungs at the sudden voice coming from her bedroom door—which had been _closed _up until this point; why in the world did Ally have such a problem with respecting her _privacy_?—and then whirled around so fast that she managed to completely knock herself off balance. And ended up crashing right onto the floor. Painfully.

"Ally! What part of _knock before entering _don't you understand?" Her heart was pounding in a panic. How much had she heard? Having Ally overhear her attempting to figure out how to tell the family that she was a lesbian was not how Mattie wanted her family to find out that she was a lesbian...

"Basically all of it. Sooo~" And now Ally skipped inside, glancing around for a moment before she plopped down onto her sister's maple-leaf comforter. Looking up at her with big, curious blue eyes. "Who's a lesbian?"

Apparently she'd only heard the last word... "Nobody's a lesbian."

"Aw, come on!" She bounced a couple times. "You can tell me! I won't tell anyone else!"

Mattie sighed. Why in the world did she have to have such a nosy sister? "It's none of your business, Ally."

"I won't get mad! I don't care if one of our friends is a lesbian!" She kept bouncing, managing to bounce one of Mattie's stuffed animals—a polar bear—onto the floor. Kumafiji turned his head to stare at it for a moment, but then seemed to decide that it wasn't worth exerting the energy to go get it. "Who _is_ it? Tell me! Pleeease~?"

She was attempting to use the puppy dog eyes against her. Mattie didn't really know why, since it had never worked before. She'd long ago grown immune to any of her sister's attempts to be cute.

...Mattie knew that her sister wasn't going to leave until she told her _something_, though...

It—it might be good to just tell her now, she thought. Let her get used to the idea. They could have a nice, calm talk, sister-to-sister. And then she could tell Mom later tonight. Tell them that she was dating Gillian. Maybe she could bring Gill over for dinner at some point.

Eventually. After giving her pointers on how to interact with people in a way that wouldn't convince them that she was absolutely insane.

"I—I—well—" Yes, she could do this. Ally was still staring at her with interest, hanging onto every word... Okay, just say it... Just say...

"Gill is writing a play and she wants me to play the lead and I was just practicing my lines. That's it."

Not that.

She was just as surprised by her words as Ally, who just sat there, blinking up at her in surprise.

"A play?"

"Y—yes." She sincerely wanted to kick herself right now. "I'm playing a girl. Who's trying to come out to her family..." Hesitant pause. "I was just—you know—trying to think how her family would react."

Ally blinked up at her for a few moments. Seriously, why had she come up with _that _lie? She had terrible, terrible stage fright. There was no way that Ally would believe that she would ever willingly agree to play the lead in _any _kind of play.

"Wait, so the albino freak wrote a _play _and you're _helping _her with it?"

Wince. "Yes?"

"Dude!" And she was startled again when her sister jumped out of her seat and stomped her foot irritably. "Not cool!"

"Huh?"

"If anyone's going to write an awesome play that _you're _going to be in, it should totally be the hero!" And here Ally inserted a dramatic finger-point to herself. "I could write a play that's a _million _times better than anything that the albino freak could write!"

Why did Mattie feel like she had just created a monster?

"It'll be called 'The Adventures of Ultrahero'! Starring the super heroic heroine and her trusty sidekick, Mattgirl! Or something like that. We can come up with better names later. And we'll fight against the Evil Doctor Albino and her henchmen, the Tomato Bandit and the Rose...something... Like I said, we'll come up with better names later."

She'd definitely just created a monster.

"And...and...Artie can be a jewel thief who turns to the side of good after he is defeated by Ultrahero!" She clapped suddenly, apparently having completely forgotten about what she'd overheard. Since she seemed incredibly excited by the story playing out in her head. "And then he is later kidnapped, along with Mattgirl, by the Evil Doctor Albino and her evil henchman! And—and the Evil Doctor Albino will come up with an evil plan, but will be foiled last minute by the Ultrahero!"

...Did Ally seriously not notice that she'd just cast Arthur into the role of 'love interest of the hero'? How in the world could she be _that _dense?

"Dude! I have to go and write this down!" Apparently she hadn't, since she just suddenly jumped up and ran off. Just like that.

Leaving Mattie standing in front of her mirror, staring at her empty and rumpled bed. Not entirely sure how to respond to what had just transpired.

"Um, well..." Maybe she'd just wait to tell her family about Gill. Just a little while. Just until she worked up the nerve... "I guess... I mean, they don't really _need _to know right now. Right, Kumahimmo?" And now she turned toward her dog. Not entirely sure why, since it wasn't like he could answer her.

Especially since he'd decided to curl up on her rug and fall fast asleep.

...Typical.

* * *

A/N: We're a tenth of the way through! Woohoo! In honour of this milestone, I'm going to be putting up a new poll. Which two of these 10 stories are your favourites? Just out of curiousity. I think I'll probably do the same for every 10 stories in this series. Because it'll be interesting to see which stories people like the best.

Al and Gill are both so ridiculous. It makes me laugh. xD

And that superhero plot? Yeah, I totally have an alternate AU of this AU that involves superheroes and is sort of similar to what Al outlined. A little bit. I don't know if I'll ever actually get to it. But yeah, it's there in my head. Squished with all the other millions of plot bunnies.

And I have no idea how this relates to the prompt. She had a minor heart attack when Ally came in and then could 'breathe again' when her sister managed to distract herself and stopped asking questions?

*shrugs* Whatever. I couldn't really think of anything better. And I've wanted to write this one out for a while.

Next Prompt: **MEMORY**


	11. 011: Memory

**011****.** Memory  
**Characters:** Leni, Luca, Gill & Ludwig  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** Valentine's Day, pre-marriage and post-marriage

* * *

**Die Rosen**

"Oh my God, they're so pretty!"

"Who are they for?"

"Who are they _from_?"

If there was one thing that could _immediately_ gain the attention of pretty much any girl on Valentine's Day, it was the sudden sight of a big bouquet of roses sitting on one of the empty desks in her next classroom. Just sitting there, a beautiful mix of yellow, orange, and pink roses, arranged neatly in a glass vase. Innocently. With a red envelope sitting in front, a name neatly printed in black marker.

A few immediately lost interest as they drew closer and saw that the name on the card wasn't theirs—a few just sat down in other seats with disappointed expressions. But a handful of them just crowded closer, reaching out to touch the soft petals as they chatted amongst themselves.

"They're for Leni!"

One immediately cooed, picking up the card and turning it over, half-hoping that it wouldn't be sealed so they could just take a _tiny _peek inside. "Aww! From who?"

"I didn't know she was dating somebody," another remarked curiously, resting a hand on her hip as she eyed the bouquet.

"Maybe they're from a _secret admirer_."

Most of the girls looked rather excited at this idea.

"A pretty _serious _secret admirer," one added. "Aren't flowers expensive?"

"There she is!"

And the girls immediately turned at that exclamation—coming from a girl who had been watching the door for any sign of their classmate. Their classmate, who now walked through the door, an expression of surprise and interest spreading over her face as she laid eyes on the group surrounding her desk.

"Hey, what's going on?" And her expression only grew more intrigued as most of the girls turned to look at her with expressions varying from excitement to envy.

"Look at these!" One of them grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward. "Somebody left you flowers!"

And now her eyes widened in surprise. "Flowers?"

And then she laid eyes on the bouquet…

And immediately lit up.

"Who are they _from_?" The girls crowded even closer as she reached out and lifted the bouquet into her arms, staring down at the roses with an adoring expression. As she breathed their scent in deeply, smile only widening as she brought a hand up to stroke the silky petals.

"I could guess…" She giggled happily, glancing around the area where the vase had been sitting. "Was there a card?"

A red envelope was shoved into her hand almost immediately…

"Come on, who _sent_ it?"

She just responded with a smirk as she stared at the very familiar printing on the outside of the card. Very neat printing; she could just imagine him, painstakingly forming each letter. Maybe he'd messed up once or twice and had to get a new envelope…

Such a cutie.

And they were all crowding around her, waiting for her to open the envelope. Which she definitely wasn't going to do here, of course. Instead, she just sighed and crushed the unopened envelope against her chest. And gave her best love-struck sigh. "Oh, just the sweetest guy on earth…"

They looked about to burst from curiousity. Which made her want to laugh. But that would ruin the effect, so instead she just lifted her eyes the tiniest bit to glance up at the clock.

He didn't have class for another fifteen minutes, which meant that she'd probably be able to find him in the campus centre… Sitting in his usual seat by the window, working on an essay—or more like attempting to work on an essay, since she doubted that he'd be able to concentrate on something as silly as an essay when he had just sent her a beautiful, incredible bouquet of roses.

She laughed softly, shaking her head as she lifted the vase into her arms. "See ya guys later."

Oh, she was going to embarrass the _hell _out of Luca for this one... Probably by kissing him senseless in front of the entire campus.

~.~.~

"Gillian! You're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry up!"

"Coming, Mutti!"

Leni sighed at that exclamation; that would be the third time she'd heard those words this morning. And probably not the last time, since Gill was being even slower than usual. Which was saying something, since Gill was slow _every _morning.

Since Gillian was apparently putting the finishing touches on her Valentine's Day cards. The same ones she had been obsessing over for the past month… She'd decided that she was going to make homemade cards for every single person in her kindergarten class and all of her closest friends (which seemed to consist of half of the town) and had been working on them incessantly for pretty much an entire month.

And apparently she still wasn't finished…

Well, Leni supposed that she could give her a few more minutes. She supposed that she could always ask Luca to take the kids to school if Gill was absolutely determined to make her cards _perfect_.

She sighed softly at that thought, shaking her head with a fond smile as she turned to glance down at her much less troublesome baby. Who was currently swinging his feet back and forth in the too-tall chair as he clutched his little blue backpack to his chest, as if afraid that it might run away if he let go of it for too long.

She smiled warmly at the sight and bent, brushing a stray strand of hair behind Ludwig's ear—gaining his immediate attention in the process—before nuzzling her forehead against his. "You ready for Valentine's Day, liebling?"

And he nodded immediately, grip on his backpack tightening even more at her words. "Ja…"

"You have the cards for your classmates?"

Another nod.

"Even for Lovi?"

A moment of hesitation, but then another nod.

"Good." She now lifted her head a little bit to kiss his forehead. "I love you, liebling."

"I love you too, Mutti." And now he was blushing…

Which made her almost laugh in amusement. Since he looked so much like a younger version of Luca when he did that…

Which reminded her. She hadn't seen Luca all morning. Which was odd, since he'd told her yesterday that he had the day off…

Hopefully that meant was she thought it meant.

"Here, Mutti!" And she hadn't even heard the sound of boots stomping down the stairs, so she almost lost her balance when a body suddenly threw itself at the back of her legs…

The only reason she didn't was because she was _really _used to this… She now turned, smiling down at the pair of ruby-red eyes that were staring up at her, brimming with excitement.

…Thank Gott Gill hadn't managed to cover herself in glitter this time. Or little scraps of paper that she'd accidentally (or not-so-accidentally) glued to herself.

"Morning, libeling." A quick duck down to hug the little bundle of excitement—she was literally _quivering _right now… She felt a little bad for Miss Terrison. She could just tell that Gill was going to be incredibly hyper all day. "You two had better hurry if you want to catch the bus. You don't want to miss Valentine's Day." She visually checked Gillian's backpack as she spoke, making sure that she'd actually zipped all of the pockets this time. The last thing that she wanted was for Gillian to lose all of her valentines because she'd been too excited to zip up their compartment. "You both have your cards?"

"Ja!" Gill was bouncing excitedly in place. "They're going to be the most awesome valentines _ever_!"

"Good." She patted her on the head, now motioning toward the door. "Get going. Have a great day at school."

"We will, Mutti!" And now Gill ran over to Ludwig, grabbing his hand—barely giving him time to drop down from the chair before dragging him toward the door. "I'm gonna bring home lots and _lots _of awesome valentines!"

…And she didn't even need to respond to that, since they were gone in another moment. The door slamming closed behind.

Leni waited for another moment and then walked over to the window, pushing the curtain aside so she could peek outside…

Amazing timing, if she said so herself. The bus was just pulling up in front of the house. Gillian was running toward it, dragging Ludwig behind. Lips moving in what was probably excited chatter…

Leni smiled and then laughed as Gill let go of Ludwig's hand as soon as they reached the bus and dared inside, standing right inside the doorway—so the doors couldn't close and Ludwig couldn't get in—as she pulled her backpack in front of her and began to dig inside.

Knowing her, she'd probably made a valentine for every single person on that bus…

She hummed contentedly at the thought and then took a step back, letting the curtains fall back into place. She had the sweetest little babies…

And now she turned back toward the table. And immediately froze, too startled to move for a moment…

As a bouquet was sitting on the table.

A bouquet of roses.

Pink and orange and yellow and red roses.

And a red envelope. With her name written in painstaking, overly-careful print…

* * *

A/N: It's Love Love Day, so I wrote cute fluffiness! Because I had to. Since I find Valentine's Day to be a super cute holiday. I don't really do anything for it, since I don't have any romantic person to be all lovey dovey with, but I find it super cute anyway. I was in class today and this girl got roses sent to her by her boyfriend. Her facial expression when she was them was just adorableeeeee~ And then my friends got roses from her fiancé, which was also adorable~ It made me so happy! xD

...Yes, I'm weird. I refuse to be one of those people who's all mopey and "I HATE VALENTINE'S DAY" just because I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend. I mean really, it's a day that's supposed to be about _love_. How can you be negative about _love_? Be happy for _all_ of the people who love you, even if they aren't a "boyfriend" or "girlfriend".

…Well, hello random soapbox. Where did you come from? Anywaaaaaaaayz, so it's a fluffy day so you get fluffiness.

With roses! Because I love roses. Very muchly. ;) My friends got me a rose for Valentine's Day and it's currently being super pretty on my desk. *pets* Oh, and all rose colours mentioned are symbolic, because anytime I mention a rose in a story, the colour is significant… In this case, we have yellow, orange and pink in the first bouquet (friendship & caring, passion & energy, and admiration & joy) and then those and red (love & desire) in the second. Which, I could explain what those mean in relation to these two, but I'll leave it to you to think about.

How it relates to the prompt is self-explanatory I think… And next prompt is…

**Insanity**.

…Which is going to be very unfluffy. So…prepare yourselves.


	12. 012: Insanity

**012****.** Insanity  
**Characters:** Arthur & Francis  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period:** pre-Round & Round

* * *

**Old and New**

_Four months._

She'd only waited _four months _to find herself a new man.

_Four fucking months._

And she'd looked so _happy _when she told him. When she'd walked into his bedroom while he was working on a history project, arm in arm with some _stranger_. He'd looked up at her, confused. And she'd beamed and then told him that this was Clayton, a friend from work…

Arthur had instantly hated him on sight. Something about him just sent jolts of rage through his body—maybe it was the way that he held himself so overly-confident, or maybe the way that his dark hair was styled _just so_, or perhaps the fact that he had a beard trimmed oh-so-neatly rubbed him the wrong way. Or, more likely, his irritation was due to the fact that this _man_ was linked arm and arm with Arthur's _mother_…

"Clay, this is Arthur. My son." She'd proceeded to step forward and brush a strand of his hair behind Arthur's ear in an overly-motherly motion. "Arthur, there's something very important that Clay and I have to tell you."

Arthur just knew that whatever she was about to say was not going to make him happy. He glared at her—warningly—but she ignored it and took a step back, placing herself by Clay's side. "Today at work, Clayton asked me to be his wife. And I said yes."

…She'd seemed so _shocked_ by Arthur's response. Arthur's screams of rage and curses and then he'd just left, slamming the front door behind him. So hard that the entire house shook.

It was as if she thought that Arthur would be _happy _to find out that she'd managed to find a replacement for his father in _four fucking months_.

Fuck. And he'd been so pissed off that he'd forgotten to grab his jacket, so now he was freezing. And he had no idea where he was even going—he'd just let his feet lead him along the sidewalks. Toward...

...And he suddenly froze, as he realised where his feet had led him.

Francis's house. He was currently standing in front of the iron gates and the road that led up toward Francis's gigantic house.

...What the hell? Why would he come _here_?

He hadn't even talked to the other boy in almost a year, since they weren't in the same class... And his mum had told Arthur that he should stay away from the other boy outside of school. She hadn't told him _why_, but it wasn't that hard to figure out why. With all of the rumours going around... About how Francis did all sorts of _things_...

With girls _and_ boys. And Arthur knew that those rumours were true, because Francis was always seen flirting with girls and...

And Arthur had seen his old playmate with a group of older boys—high school boys, he'd thought—in the park near his house only a few weeks ago. He'd been searching the park in an attempt to find a button that had fallen from his jacket and had stumbled upon a secluded section of the park. Finding a group of boys passing something that was maybe a cigarette and maybe wasn't amongst themselves. And he'd been shocked to see Francis there, sitting in the lap of one of the boys. His dress shirt almost entirely unbuttoned and his jeans unzipped and settled low on his hips. Another boy had been laughing as he stroked Francis's leg and then pressed the unlit end of the cigarette against Arthur's former playmate's lips...

Arthur had run off after that... Up until that point, he honestly hadn't believed the rumours_. _But then... Well, after seeing that, he'd started listening more closely. And started going out of his way to avoid the other boy.

Just like his mother had told him... Arthur had been _such _an obedient little son, staying away from the other boy because his mummy told him too.

It was rather odd that _this_ was where his feet had decided to take him. But then again, it might be a sign.

Because up until this point, he'd _always _been obedient. He'd always done what Mummy and Daddy told him to do. And where had it gotten him? His father was gone—he'd left one night without even bothering to say goodbye. And his mother... She didn't even care. No, she was probably happy that he was gone. Maybe she'd wanted to marry this guy for _years_, but she couldn't until he left...

Arthur had always been _good_. Arthur always obeyed Mummy and Daddy. Arthur always did well in school. Arthur always played nicely with the other kids.

Arthur didn't want to be good anymore.

And he didn't allow himself a moment to think after that. No, instead he walked up to the call button, pressed it down with his thumb, and stated his name as calmly as possible. As if he had every right to be here.

Because he did.

He honestly wasn't at all surprised when the door opened before he'd even had a chance to ring the doorbell, revealing Francis. Dressed solely in a pair of dark grey sweatpants with a towel thrown over his neck. He'd obviously come straight from the shower, as his hair was still soaked. Drops were running down his bare chest...

"Bonjour, cher. This is a pleasant surprise," he greeted him cheerily before taking a step backwards and motioning for Arthur to follow.

He could leave right now. Leave and go back home. Apologise to his mother for screaming at her. Go back to being good Arthur.

Because he knew exactly what was about to happen. Once he stepped through that door.

All in all, his hesitation only lasted for a second or two. Before he stepped inside and watched as Francis closed the door behind them.

"I thought you had servants to answer your bloody doors for you?"

Francis immediately laughed at the remark, removing the towel from his head and shaking his head. Managing to spray Arthur in the process. Like some sort of dog. "Ah, but when I heard your melodious voice, I couldn't help but come and see what you wanted. You so rarely come to visit me." He began rubbing at his hair with the towel as he walked deeper into the house.

"I never come and visit you, bloody frog." Arthur followed, glaring at his surroundings. This house was ridiculous. So fucking ostentatious, especially considering the fact that the only people who lived here were Francis and his servants.

"Which means that this is a special occasion." Francis turned his head and winked at him. "Or you want something. So which is it?"

...Arthur had the feeling that Francis knew exactly why he was here. Knew exactly why he was here, what he wanted. Probably knew more than even _Arthur _knew...

Which was why he didn't bother to answer. Instead he just stood there silently and watched as Francis stared back, his smile sliding into something a bit more serious. Just for a moment before it returned full force.

And he suddenly slung his towel around Arthur's neck, using the object to tug him closer until they were standing practically nose-to-nose.

He smirked. "You know, mon cher~ I don't think that your maman would be very happy if she knew that you were here."

Arthur's stomach twisted at that. But not in sorrow or guilt, as he'd half-expected. No, instead he felt it twist into knots of anger and fury and... Remembering her standing there, smiling at him. On the arm of that _man_. "I don't give a fuck what she wants me to do."

Francis didn't look at all surprised by his remark. Instead, he just nodded and continued to stare up into his eyes. As if attempting to read every thought and all of his deepest secrets. "Mm, non... Apparently not."

Arthur wanted to _hurt _her. He wanted to completely destroy her image of him, of good and obedient little Arthur. He wanted to _destroy_ that Arthur...

And there was one sure way to do that.

It was so much easier to just act on instinct. To completely lose himself in the fury that was coursing through his body. The fury at _her, _at his _father_... At _everyone_.

He needed to hurt. He needed to hurt something. And it was so easy to suddenly dig his fingers into the body so close to his own and then slam him back against the wall. Hard enough that the absurdly expensive portraits shook and trembled... Threatening to fall and smash.

Francis didn't even yelp in pain at the violence. In actuality, he managed to completely surprise Arthur. By suddenly sliding his arms around the British boy's shoulders and suddenly drawing him closer. Into an actual kiss.

Which Arthur immediately answered, pinning the other boy's head against the wall just by the force of their kiss.

Francis had always been good at knowing what he wanted... Knowing what he _needed_...

And he growled in irritation when Francis suddenly pulled himself away. He grew even more irritated when the boy _smirked _at him, his eyes half-lidded in obvious lust.

"We should probably move, mon ami. Unless you would prefer for one of my servants to find us?" He left the question dangling in the air. And then he slipped away, laughing in soft, almost innocent amusement.

Leaving Arthur standing there, suddenly unsure of himself.

As he knew what Francis was saying. And silently asking...

And he needed to punish _her _and punish _him_. He had to destroy the old Arthur. Destroy the old Arthur and become someone new...

He followed.

* * *

A/N: …Hmm, this is one of those stories that I don't really know how I feel about it. It sort of gives you a little bit of background info on Arthur and Francis before Round & Round. And what helped lead to the insanity of R&R.

…Francis is such a mess. I really to want to snuggle his baby version and kick Jean and everybody else who took advantage of him in the balls…

Next one is **MISFORTUNE**. Because my 100 theme list apparently wants me to write rather depressing stuff right now.

But I will tell you that my current favourite is coming up super soon! Which is number 16, 'questioning'… Course, that's probably just because it's all about my favourite cop duo ;D Hahaha.


	13. 013: Misfortune

**013.** Misfortune  
**Characters:** Big Mike, Leni, & Gillian  
**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** About a year after BM's son died

* * *

**Loss and Gain and Loss and Gain**

He would have been twenty-six today.

Twenty-six. If he'd lived, he would have turned twenty-six today. Mike would have traveled to her son and daughter-in-law's house for the weekend and they would have had a party. Scotty had always loved parties, after all.

She would be sitting in his living room, probably with a glass of wine resting on the table beside her. Laughing over one of Scotty's stories—probably one about one of the particularly stupid criminals that he'd been forced to deal with…

Leon would be playing on the floor or sitting on his mother's lap, staring at his mother with big blue eyes. Just like Scotty's… She'd often pointed out how much Leon looked like his father.

And…the other little one would have lived. If Scotty had turned twenty-six today.

...Twenty-five was too young to die.

You were barely an _adult_ at twenty-five. You'd barely had time to _live_ when you were twenty-five. You'd just started settling down at twenty-five.

Starting a career, starting a family.

She knew that she should call Megan. But she didn't know what she'd say… They'd never gotten along, even while Scotty was still alive. After his death, it became practically unbearable to be around the other. Too painful to be around someone who reminded you of what you'd lost, what you'd _both _lost.

It was unfair. It wasn't fair that Scotty had been taken from them when he was only twenty-five.

Frankie had called her earlier this morning, asking if she needed someone to stay with her today. He'd sounded concerned; his voice soft, as he promised that he'd take off work if she needed someone to stay with her today…

She'd promised him that she'd be fine. She was already planning on going out; she was almost out of groceries so she'd walk to the store. And then maybe she'd go out again later this afternoon.

Of course Frankie hadn't sounded convinced. They'd been best friends for years; he knew her too well to believe such a flimsy lie. But he hadn't pushed; instead, he'd told her that he'd come over as soon as he got out of work…

She'd gone to the grocery store after that, barely paying attention to what she grabbed. She would probably have to go out again later this week to pick up the things that she'd forgotten.

She just—she didn't want to stay in that house. She didn't want to sit in her living room.

Alone.

Just _remembering_…

So she'd walked here. To the park. Carrying her two grocery bags.

It was a rather chilly fall day, so there weren't that many people out and about. And most of the ones who were out seemed rather focused on their own thoughts… Leaving her to walk to the fountain near the centre of the park, set her bags on the ground, and the settle herself on the edge of the fountain.

Sitting down so she could stare out at her surroundings. Stare out at the leaves that were lying all over the ground and the almost-bare trees and the people that walked by. Many of them walking, laughing and talking and just _living_…

She and Teddy used to come here all the time when Scotty was a baby. They'd both always enjoyed nature and taking walks together. Scotty would usually fall asleep in a sling against her chest while she and Teddy walked hand-in-hand. Sometimes they'd talk, but usually they'd remain silent and just enjoy each other's presence…

…Forty-one was too young to die too.

"Um, excuse me…?"

Mike's thoughts were interrupted by a voice. A woman's voice that came from in front of her, sounding rather soft and apologetic. Like she felt bad for interrupting her…

She immediately lifted her head to look up at the woman. She looked rather young, probably early-twenties, with long, wavy blonde hair that was currently tied back in a low ponytail. Dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a dark blue jacket.

A very pretty woman.

And she was currently cradling something that had been bundled in a light yellow blanket against her chest. Something which now squirmed, a tiny pink mitten-covered fist managing to escape from the blankets for a moment. And then gave a rather piercing wail…

Mike immediately felt her lips press upwards at the sound. That sound was definitely familiar. "Sounds like someone's hungry."

The woman nodded, flashing a semi-exasperated, but still fond smile at the infant. "She's a greedy little thing. I just fed her half an hour ago." She began to rock the baby, cooing to her softly. Managing to quiet her without too much fuss.

Mike had often wished that Scotty was that easy to quiet when he was a baby. She had to smile at the sight. "What's her name?"

"Gillian. Gillian Maria Beilschmidt." She smiled and then inclined her head toward the fountain. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all."

The woman sighed in what sounded like relief and then settled herself onto the edge of the fountain, careful to keep the end of the blanket from trailing into the water. "Danke. She can get a little heavy after a while."

The baby whined again at the shift in position, squirming again. Managing to get both hands out of the blanket cocoon this time. Earning a chuckle from her mother, who reached out and took one of the hands in hers, shaking it gently. "You want to see who I'm talking to, don't you?" She now glanced up, smiling as she shifted the infant into her arms. "Would you like to hold her? I'd actually love to go and get some hot chocolate from the snack shop over there…" She pointed toward a little green building a little ways away, where a few other people were lined up.

"Of course."

Leni immediately smiled again and then carefully transferred the infant into the other woman's arms. "Now, you be good for this nice lady, Gilly…"

Mike stared down at the child, rather surprised when she met a pair of red-coloured eyes. Almost the exact colour of a pair of rubies, which were staring at her with intense interest.

"She's albino," Leni explained, obviously noting her confusion, as she reached down and brushed her fingers along the child's cheek. "Don't know where in the world it came from; probably Luca's side of the family, since he was adopted. It was a shock, but…she's so beautiful…"

"Yes." Mike stared down at the child, whose gaze kept moving between her mother and this stranger, unsure of who she should stare at. At least until she moved her hands again and was distracted by her mittens.

It'd been quite a while since Mike had been able to hold an infant. Not since Leon was born… And even then, she'd only actually been able to hold him when she went to visit Scott and Megan. Which wans't very often.

She'd almost forgotten how wonderful babies were. Even when they were being cranky and difficult…

Leni laughed softly and then remarked, "I think she likes you." And then she began walking toward the snack shop. Leaving the two of them alone.

And Mike was actually surprised that Gillian didn't start screaming as soon as her mother walked away… Then again, she seemed much more interested in watching her. And waving her arms around in random directions.

Instead, she smiled and then giggled as she waved her arms in front of her face and kicked her feet, which were covered by a pair of matching pink booties.

"Aren't you sweet?" She smiled as she lifted the baby higher into her arms, leaning down to brush her lips against the child's forehead. Breathing in the once familiar smell of baby powder…

How old was she? Probably no older than six months… She'd probably been born around the time that Scotty had died…

It was…a little strange to think like that. That this little girl had probably begun her life at around the same time that her son had ended his…

She sat there. Thinking as she gazed down at the child, watching as her intelligent eyes examined everything. How they widened when she caught a glimpse of a bird flying by, attempting to follow it until it disappeared. Feeling the weight and the warmth of this little living being.

Twenty-six years ago, she'd held her own warm little living being. And now she was holding someone else's…

She didn't even notice Leni's approach until she felt a faint pressure against the hand that she'd been running through the infant's short, pale curls. And then she looked up, slightly surprised when she realised that the world was blurred… And her cheeks felt damp…

"I'm sorry." She sat beside her again. "I don't know what happened, but…you looked like you needed someone." She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear as she spoke, looking slightly nervous. "Luca tells me that I sometimes should keep my nose out of other people's business, but… I felt like I should come over and talk to you."

Mike didn't respond for a moment. And then she nodded. Continuing to stare at the little girl, who now made a soft sound of discomfort, trying to reach toward her with her tiny fists… "Yes. I… I did need it."

Leni nodded once and then murmured after a moment. "I should probably take her back. My husband is probably wondering where in the world we are… If you want, though…" She hurriedly slipped her hand into her jacket pocket, pulling out a little notebook and pen.

Which she opened, quickly scribbling something onto one of the pages. And then she tore it out and pressed the sheet into the other woman's hand. "If you wanted to see Gilly again. She usually doesn't like strangers, but she seemed to take to you. If you wouldn't mind babysitting her at some point?"

And then she smiled before reaching forward and gently slipping the infant back into her own arms. Now rising to her feet. "I'm sure she'd love to see you again."

Mike smiled. "I'd love to see her again too."

Which Leni answered with one last smile, raising one of Gillian's fists and waving it in Mike's direction before she turned and began walking toward the entrance to the park.

…And now Mike rose, picking up her grocery bags. Thinking…

She'd make dinner. Dinner for when Frankie came over. And then she'd call Megan. Call Megan and talk to Leon. And maybe she'd ask if he could come over some weekend. So she could see her grandbaby again…

* * *

A/N: I rebelled against this prompt. Because I wanted to write something that wasn't completely sad… So you get a sad story, but one that's also semi-hopeful.

Interestingly enough—it wasn't planned this way—but while doing the math to figure out ages for how old Leon would have been when his dad died, how old Big Mike would have been when she had Scott, etc. I realized that Scott died the same year that Gillian was born. Which I thought was very interesting.

And poor Big Mike :( Her story is very sad. But, she does have little Gilly to help make things easier. And Frankie.

Which btw, in case you guys forgot. Scott = Leon's dad, Big Mike's son, Megan = Leon's mom, Frankie = the police chief.

Oh, and for those who were wondering. No, I don't think that leaving your kid with a complete stranger is a good idea. However, Leni is Leni. And Leni tends to be really good at reading people.

Next prompt: **SMILE**


	14. 014: Smile

**014****.** Smile  
**Characters:** Eli, Lizzie, and Gill  
**Genre:** Humour  
**Rating: **T  
**Time Period: **the years of preteenage-dom

* * *

**A****nd So It Begins**

You know what sucked?

Being babysat sucked.

Seriously, Gillian didn't need a stupid babysitter. She was _twelve_, after all—that meant she was practically a grown-up already! _Her_ mutti had nevermade her stay home alone with some stupid babysitter while she and Vati went out. She'd just invite Big Mike over, but that wasn't because Gillian needed babysitting. That was just because Big Mike was awesome and it was a lot more fun to hang out with her when no one else was home.

But apparently Eli and Lizzie's mutti was too unawesome to realise that awesomeness didn't _need _a stupid babysitter.

Especially one like _Yolanda._

Who was currently sitting on the couch in the living room, eating popcorn while watching some stupid show on the TV. Completely ignoring them.

Super boring.

Gill was currently sitting at the kitchen table with Eli, watching as he spun Berta—his Cherry Red Iron Handle Skillet—around in circles, the handle occasionally stopping to point at her or him or the refrigerator.

"This is so unawesome…"

He nodded in agreement, spinning it around again before sighing and resting his head on the table. "But mother said that she'd take Berta away if we made Yolanda angry again."

Yolanda was probably the worst babysitter that Gillian had ever seen. She was _mean_ and boring and the only reason that they had to be good around her was because her father worked with Eli and Lizzie's mother. And their mother wanted him to like her or something.

Well, technically _Gillian _didn't have to be good. Since she doubted that Mutti would be that angry with her if she made Yolanda angry. Since Gill was pretty sure that Mutti didn't like the stupid babysitter any more than she did.

But if Yolanda complained about them to Eli and Lizzie's mother, then they'd get in trouble. And probably get their frying pan/skillet taken away. And while Gillian could not understand what in the world was so awesome about frying pans/skillets, she knew that Eli and Lizzie's reactions to getting them taken away weren't fun to watch.

Many tears, much screaming… And then both of them would attempt to _force_ her into helping them tear the house apart to find the missing pans.

…Sometimes those two scared her a little bit.

Anyway, so she was bored. And she didn't know where Lizzie was—which just made things even _more _unawesome, because she and Eli didn't even have anyone to mess with right now.

Which, now that she thought about it…

"Hey, where's Lizzie?"

Eli paused in his skillet-spinning at that, glancing up at her for a moment before sighing and pointing toward the ceiling. "She's been locked in her room all day."

"Why?"

"I have no idea, but she wouldn't come out no matter _what_ I tried." He pouted slightly as he continued, "I even threatened to call Roddy and pretend to be her and tell him that I _loved _him. And she just shrieked for some reason. Weirdo."

Well, that definitely sounded interesting.

A million times more interesting than sitting at the kitchen table, watching as Eli spun his skillet around and around in circles. "Dude!" She leapt to her feet. "We should totally figure out what she's doing! It could be something we could use for blackmail!"

"Blackmail…" He didn't respond for a few moments, apparently thinking. And then he lifted his head and smirked up at her, showing all of his teeth in an evil expression. "Mama only said that we couldn't bother _Yolanda_. She didn't say anything about Lizzie."

Gill grinned back. "Exactly."

~.~.~

Of course, before they could begin their quest to discover what Lizzie was doing in her bedroom, they had to prepare themselves for the dangers they might face. Those dangers mainly consisting of Lizzie's own frying pan of doom—named Miksa, because these two had a weird habit of naming their frying pans...

"This one is named Raymond." As shown when they headed into the kitchen and Eli knelt on the floor, digging around in one of his mutti's cabinets for a few minutes. Finally emerging with a frying pan, which he passed up to her. Just a normal frying pan, as far as Gill could tell, not red like his or overly-shiny like Lizzie's. "Since you're a beginner, you can use him."

…And people tried to tell _Gill _that she was weird.

"Okay…"

He stood, brandishing his own skillet-weapon. "So, we'll sneak upstairs and then I can unlock her door with a bobby-pin… I learned how to do that at summer camp last year. Mama was furious when she found out. But we'll have to be really quiet so she doesn't hear us."

Gill nodded and then immediately followed as Eli led her toward the staircase and then slowly climbed up to the second floor. Trying to keep his tread as quiet as possible—much more successfully than Gill herself. But that was just because this was _his _house, so of course he'd be better at missing the squeaky steps than she was…

Not that it seemed to matter either way, as Lizzie didn't suddenly scream at them from her bedroom. She didn't seem to hear them as all, not even when Eli dropped down in front of her door. Thumping softly.

For a moment, they both just waited there, listening for any sound from inside. But there was nothing…

So he reached up into his ponytail, cautiously removing a little black bobby-pin, which he then inserted into the lock.

…Gill made a mental note to ask Uncle Fritz or Big Mike to teach her how to do that.

It seemed like forever before he finally grinned excitedly and leaned backwards. Flashing Gill a quick thumbs up before he rose to his feet…

And thenthrew the door open and burst inside with a loud "Ha ha! Caught you, Lizzie!"

"Eli!" And he was answered by an infuriated screech. "Get out of my room!"

"Hey, what are you reading?"

"Give that back!"

Ah, Gill loved the sound of an angry Lizzie. Particularly when she was angry at someone _else_, as that meant that _she _wasn't the one in danger of being attacked by Miksa—aka: the evil frying pan of doom and despair.

"What the hell _is _this?"

"I said to give it back!"

And that sounded interesting and worthy of the interest of her awesomeness. Which meant that it was now time for Gill to walk into the room and find out what was going on. Which she did.

And found Lizzie and Eli practically wrestling on the floor, Eli holding tightly to an opened book with one hand while using the hand holding Berta to fend off his enraged sister. His expression was confused, obviously not sure what to make of the book that his eyes were now perusing. And then it changed into something disgusted.

"Dude, why are there guys making out in this book? That's so gross, Lizzie!"

"No, it isn't!" She finally managed to break past his defensive barrier and snatched the book out of his hand, hurriedly cradling it against her chest as if worrying that he might steal it away if she let it go.

He just sat up, staring at her with a confused expression. Before his eyes roamed around the rest of the room—at about the same time that Gill also began taking in more of the setting.

And realised that there were _stacks _of books. Everywhere… Many with colourful covers, depicting men gazing soulfully at each other or locked in each other's embrace or even kissing.

"Dude, what the hell?" And Eli jumped to his feet, staring at the books with a rather disturbed expression. "Where did you get these?"

Lizzie scowled up at him and then set the book that she had been reading on top of one of the piles. "Kiku let me borrow them. They're called boys' love… Or yaoi. And they're wonderful, so shut up."

"But…" He glanced back toward Gill. Who had now walked inside the room and picked up one of the books. Hmm, she remembered seeing Kiku with something like this before. She just hadn't thought to actually see what it was…

And there was another pile of books sitting on her desk, looking untouched. Which Gill headed toward.

"What are those?" Eli beat her, though. Which wasn't awesome, since _she'd_ noticed them first.

"Those are yuri. I'm giving them back, though, since that's definitely not what I wanted."

And Gill watched as Eli picked up the top book… And his entire demeanor changed. She could see the cover of this one had two girls on it with their hands clasped together. Also gazing soulfully into each other's eyes. He stared at it for a few seconds, the confusion and disgust immediately disappearing to be replaced by something blank.

And then he turned the page.

And then turned the next page.

And in about five seconds, he was sitting on Lizzie's bed, eyes scanning over the pages as he turned them at a ridiculously rapid pace.

Okay, so she was getting ignored.

This was almost as boring as watching him spinning Berta around on the kitchen table. What about the blackmail? That was the whole point of this, right?

Lizzie was scowling at him, hands resting on her hips as she attempted to gain his attention with her evil glare… Completely failed at doing so…

"Get out of my room, Eli. I was just _reading_…"

He threw his hand up in a gesture to keep quiet. Eyes never leaving the pages.

Until he finished, what seemed like _forever _later. And lifted his head to stare at both of them, his expression completely dazed. Like he'd just woken from a dream or something.

And then he coughed, a faint flush crossing his cheeks as he seemed to finally return to reality.

"Um…"

"Get _out_ of my _room_, you two!" Lizzie walked over to the other side of the room, reached behind her desk. And pulled out the _evil_ frying pan of doom and despair.

"Wait, Lizzie…"

"You have two seconds."

"But, Lizzie...Can I keep these, _please_?"

Gillian had hurried over to the door as soon as evil Miksa appeared. But she froze at that, glancing over toward Eli with a surprised expression. Dude, had he just said _please_ to _Lizzie_?

Holy crap, these books were cursed!

"Wha—?" Although Lizzie seemed just as surprised as she was… "You want—why?"

"Because…" He was now cradling the book to his chest, eyes starting to look dazed again. "That was… so amazing… I can't even describe… The emotion, passion…"

And that was when Gill decided that she was out of here. Because something had just possessed Eli and she sure as heck wasn't waiting around to have it try to take over her awesomeness too. At least _Yolanda_ wasn't hiding evil demon books in her bedroom.

Probably, at least.

* * *

A/N: You know, if I were going to try to put the inhabitants of Pleasantville on a line from least sane to most sane… (We can also add another axis of most accepting of their insanity to most in denial about their insanity, just to make it more interesting) I'm pretty sure that Eli and Lizzie would be at the very very end of the insanity meter. Since they're both complete nutjobs. The fact that _Gill _thinks they're insane just says something.

I still love them, though. Especially Eli. And his Cherry Red Iron Handle Skillet named Berta. When I have my own kitchen, I'll have to buy a skillet like that and name it Berta. Because.

And they have been introduced to yaoi and yuri. I feel sorry for the poor, unsuspecting universe…

How it relates to the prompt. Hey, yaoi and yuri makes Eli and Lizzie smile. xD Maybe not anyone else, though… Haha.

Next one is **SILENCE**. Which is a fun one. Becaaaaaaaaause…

You get to meet Johnson's brothers. Hahaha! ;D


	15. 015: Silence

**015****.** Silence  
**Characters:** Leon, Johnson, & the rest of the Johnson brood  
**Genre:** Humour/Friendship/Family  
**Rating:**T  
**Time Period:**about a year after R&R

* * *

**Meet the Johnsons: Part 1**

Pleasantville did something to people. You came in as a completely, sane, normal human being and then within a few weeks, you had become someone completely different. It was terrifying. Leon's theory was that there was something in the water supply. Or possibly in the air. Some sanity-sucking drug that his grandmother had probably invented.

He was a perfect example, after all. He'd been a perfectly normal individual when he moved here; he'd probably had a _slight_ disadvantage in the sanity-keeping department due to his genetics, but other than that, he was perfectly normal…

_Had _been. That had all changed within a year of moving to this place. As evidenced by the fact that he was currently sitting in a car, six and a half hours away from Pleasantville, on his way to crash a family reunion…

Not just any family reunion. _Johnson's _family reunion.

Seriously, how in the world had this even _happened_?

"Johnson?" Well, he supposed it wasn't _technically _family reunion crashing, since he'd been invited. But it was still a rather odd situation.

And now he sighed and pulled himself out of the slouch that he'd adopted for most of the ride, his back cracking painfully in retaliation. Ugh, he hated super long car trips. Six and a half hours sitting in one position with only three or four stops to go to the restroom and stretch his legs… Not his idea of a fun way to spend the day. "You're sure that your family won't mind me coming?"

Not that it would make a difference at this point, but he still felt weird about this whole thing. For one thing, he really had no idea why Johnson had even asked him to come… The question had seemed to come out of nowhere. They'd been sitting in the squad car one evening; Leon had been half-asleep in his seat. And then Johnson had mentioned that he was going to his family reunion that weekend.

And then asked him if he wanted to come with him.

Leon still wasn't entirely sure why he'd accepted. Mostly out of curiosity, he supposed. Since Johnson never really talked about himself or his family or anything like that. This was finally Leon's chance to _learn _something about his partner's personal life.

Plus, Johnson _never_ asked Leon to do anything for him… So this must be something that he really didn't want to do alone. Which just made Leon _more_ curious. Johnson had never said anything bad about his family; he didn't seem angry with them or anything. So why in the world did he not want to go to the reunion alone?

Leon was pretty close to bursting from curiosity at this point. After six and a half hours of almost complete silence, they'd almost reached the park where the reunion was being held. Where he could _finally _find out what in the world was going on...

"Won't care." Although, before that, he apparently was going to attempt to strangle himself with his seatbelt. As that very unexpected remark scared the hell out of him. Since Johnson hadn't said a word to him since they'd gotten into the car outside of basic questions like: 'Want to eat?' or 'Want to stop?'

Which he attempted to cover up by quickly asking, "If you're sure... So, is it a big family reunion? Like, is your entire extended family going to be here too?"

Johnson nodded, turning the wheel slightly as he pulled onto a tree-lined street... And at the end of the street, Leon could see a sign reading 'Johnson Family Reunion'. Which looked like it had been practically _doused_ in glitter and was surrounded by about twenty brightly-coloured balloons.

Hmm, well that could be a good sign. Since it probably meant that at least some members of the family weren't as silent-stoic like Johnson.

"So..." He could see cars too. A whole bunch of them. If there were a ton of people, then he'd probably be able to blend in pretty well. "You said that you have three older brothers? Are they all going to be here? You've never told me what they're like."

Johnson didn't respond; not that Leon had expected him too.

Now that he thought about it, though. There was something else that he could do while he was here. He could ask around and _finally _find out what Johnson's first name was...

_Finally_.

And now Leon was actually getting kind of excited about this. He'd never been to a family reunion, after all... So this might be fun.

He was a little surprised, though, when he felt the car start slowing down and pulling over toward the side of the road. Although not as surprised as he was when Johnson answered his question before he had a chance to ask it.

"Need a smoke."

Oh...

Leon had almost managed to completely forget about his partner's incredibly unhealthy habit during their drive, since Johnson had agreed to refrain from smoking while they were in the car. Of course, he still lit up every time they stopped, but Leon usually headed inside while he did that and he was so used to the smell of cigarette smoke that he didn't even notice it anymore.

"All right." He supposed that he didn't mind stopping for just a little bit, especially since Johnson seemed rather uncomfortable about this whole situation and if smoking calmed him down...

He was going to convince him to quit at some point, however.

Anyway, they pulled to the side of the road and Leon watched as Johnson pushed his door open, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it as he stepped outside.

It only took about five seconds before Leon decided to take this chance to walk around, since he would soon be surrounded by a crowd of people that he didn't know.

If only things could be that simple.

"Li'l J's here!"

"I told you that he'd show up."

"Almost three hours late..."

That was all the warning that Leon received. One minute he was standing next to his car door, just taking a few seconds to relax and breathe in the cool, fresh air. The next, he was being _slammed _against the car by what felt like a train hitting him at full speed.

And then a rapid-fire, southern-accented voice was shouting in his ear, "Hey! Are you one of Li'l J's friends? He didn't tell us he was bringing anyone! Welcome! Make yourself at home! Everyone's part of the family here!"

Leon was either being hugged or this guy was attempting to suffocate him by squeezing his lungs until they collapsed. He wasn't entirely sure which it was...

"Let 'im breathe, Curls." Thankfully, someone else seemed to realise this. A slower, deeper, and calmer voice that came from only a few feet away.

"Oops, sorry!" And first voice thankfully listened to second voice, as Leon was suddenly released. Although the abrupt loss of contact made him lose his balance and fall back against the car door. Disorienting him for a moment.

"Are you Leon?" Another voice, this one sounding a little irritated and coming from his left. Three voices... Johnson had three brothers...

That thought was enough to cause Leon to lift his head, curiosity now getting the better of him and holy _shit_!

He was surrounded by _giants_.

Three of them. All bigger than _Johnson_... Which he hadn't really thought was _possible_.

First voice—the one who had nearly crushed him—looked incredibly excited. So much so that he was bouncing on his heels as he looked him over, his smile only brightening as Leon stared at him in a mixture of shock and confusion. "You're Leon? Li'l J's partner?"

"Um..." Okay, this wasn't exactly what he'd expected. "Yes?"

And here came the attack train-hug again. Slamming him against the car door, possibly _denting _the car door. Definitely bruising his back. "We finally get to meet you, then! Li'l J wouldn't tell us _anything _about you!"

This was feeling very familiar. Although more painful than he was used to...

"Let him breathe, Curls..." Second voice, which happened to belong to the _biggest _of the brothers. At least—biggest when it came to the muscles department. Leon was pretty sure that he'd be able to bench press this _car _without straining himself too much. He'd probably guess that he was the oldest, too. With a full-beard, compared to Johnson's and the painful one's permanent stubble.

The last brother was apparently not very interested in his presence, as he'd instead walked over to the other side of the car, where Johnson was standing. Expression still completely unreadable as he just continued smoking.

"Ma's not gonna be happy if she knows you're still doin' that."

That remark was thankfully enough to distract the attention of painful brother and oldest brother. Both of whom immediately turned their attention to Johnson, who breathed another lungful of smoke toward the sky before turning his head toward them. "Mornin'."

"As loquacious as always." Biggest brother proceeded to pat him on the back with a blow that would have sent Leon face planting into the dirt if he'd been on the receiving end; of course, Johnson didn't even flinch. "Good to see you. And nice to _finally _meet your partner. It's good to see the chief finally found someone who can put up with you."

A snicker from probably youngest brother—the overly-excited one who reminded Leon a little bit of Gill. Except older and more dangerous when he tackle-hugged you. "Probably just doesn't know you well-enough yet. Just give him time."

Okay... Leon had now at least sort of regained his breath. And enough mental capacity to know that he should probably speak up. So he stepped forward, regaining the attention of all four brothers—and they were definitely brothers; the familial resemblance was unmistakable. "Um, hello, I'm Leon Kennedy. I'm Johnson's partner. I hope that it's all right that he invited me..."

"Of course!" Not that he was able to get much out before he was interrupted. He was starting to understand why Johnson hadn't been really excited to come here. "We've wanted to meet you! L'il J never tells us _anything _about what's going on with him."

Johnson didn't visibly respond to that remark. Although he apparently had finally finished his cigarette, as he allowed it to drop onto the ground and carefully smothered it underfoot with a practiced motion.

"We're Johnson. It's very nice to meet you." That was the oldest, who now stretched his hand out toward Leon in a welcoming gesture. Smiling pleasantly as Leon took it...the movement mostly automatic, as he was pretty sure that there had been something off with that sente—wait a second...

'_We're Johnson.'_

...You had to be kidding him. That definitely couldn't have meant what it sounded like it meant.

"You can call me Curly." That was the one who had attacked him, who was still smiling pleasantly as he reached up to tug on a strand of his dark hair. "Since I'm the only one of us who's got curly hair. That's Tall—" He pointed to the still-irritated brother, who was tapping his foot impatiently against the earth, as if wishing they'd just hurry up so he could get going to wherever he wanted to go. "Since he's the tallest. And then Big, since he's the oldest. And you already know Little..."

...Oh, God. It _had _meant what it had sounded like it meant.

"What about your first names?" But...but he could still attempt to find some sanity to cling to... _Please_ let him find some sanity to cling to...

"We don't use our first names." And apparently that wasn't happening. As Curly just continued to smile, as if what he was saying was completely normal. "Anyway, we should hurry up and go to the party! Ma's gonna be so excited to see you, Li'l J!"

Leon was starting to wonder if it would be possible to just hide in the car until this was over.

However, that hope was almost instantly dashed when Curly hurried over and grabbed his arm, yanking him in the direction of the sign and where he assumed the park was... "It's not too far of a walk! Ma's gonna _love _meeting you too, Leon!"

You know, Leon was starting to feel like he finally understood his partner...

Unfortunately, he was also starting to wonder if he really _wanted _that understanding.

* * *

A/N: Mwehehe... And now you've met the Johnsons. Who are all magnificently insane. Because they're adorable like that. I'll write more stories with them later, since I kind of love them and this was more of just an introductory thing so I didn't get to go into their personalities much.

Poor Leon. While initially planning this story, I was thinking that Johnson brought him for moral support. But then as I wrote it... I'm pretty sure that Johnson actually brought him as bait. Since he knew that his brothers would pounce on Leon and leave him alone if he brought him. Which means that sneaky Johnson is sneaky and more diabolical than I thought.

Johnson: ... *smokes*

Johnson is apparently not going to defend himself...

Oh, and just as a random note. Family reunion crashing is rather entertaining. I crashed Prussia-chan's family reunion before. It was fantastic fun. And people were very confused and thought that we were sisters. ;D

How this relates to the prompt. Johnson = Silence. That one isn't too hard to get, I think. lol. Poor Leon. Next prompt is **QUESTIONING**.


	16. 016: Questioning

**016****.** Questioning  
**Characters:** Leon, Johnson, & the rest of the Johnson brood  
**Genre:** Humour/Friendship/Family  
**Rating:**T  
**Time Period: **about a year after R&R

* * *

**Meet the Johnsons: Part 2**

"Hey! Li'l J, you finally made it!"

"Lookie there, it's Li'l J!"

"Hey, who's your friend, Li'l J?"

Leon was semi-terrified right now.

Okay, so maybe it was his own fault for having the audacity to hope that Johnson's family might be a little more—um, normal—than most of the people that he dealt with on a regular basis. He should know by now that no one that he met was going to end up being entirely sane.

But, still… He hadn't expected that they'd end up being _this _strange. He'd always thought that Johnson's 'no first name' thing was just a personal little quirk. Like his usual silence and his refusal to tell Leon when his birthday was or what his favourite colour was or even what his favourite brand of cigarettes was… Leon had tried to figure that one out, but then realised that he actually _switched _brands every couple weeks or so for some reason. Probably just to mess with him.

"Over there, that's Aunt Christa with Uncle Thin J…" But apparently it wasn't just a _personal _quirk. Apparently it was a _family _thing. An _extended _family thing. As they'd made their way into the park and Big was now giving Leon a personalised explanation of the Johnson family tree. And _every single male _was apparently named 'insert-some-adjective-here' Johnson.

Only the men, though. The women all had normal names.

"I call him Uncle Beanstalk!" And Leon's attention was returned to the still overly-excited Curly walking beside him, on the opposite side of Johnson—_his _Johnson, since apparently he was going to have to differentiate now. Who he took a quick step towards, in case his brother decided to attack him again. "'Cause he looks like a beanstalk!"

"And that's Aunt Elaine with her baby."

"Hey," Leon was slightly surprised when Curly's voice suddenly lowered and he elbowed his brother in the side, nodding toward where a man with a thick, messy beard was sitting at a picnic bench, writing in a notebook and completely ignoring the people surrounding him. "Look, Uncle Paul actually came this year."

Big blinked and stared at the man, looking slightly surprised. But then he nodded. "Guess he did..."

"Um," Leon wasn't entirely sure that he really wanted to ask this question, but he was going to do it anyway. "Is there a reason why you guys—I mean, you just called him Uncle _Paul_. But everybody else..."

"Li'l never explained it to you?" Big glanced over at his brother, who was just walking along, not paying any attention to all of the people who kept calling his name and waving at him. "Well, no wonder you're confused!"

Leon perked up slightly at that. He was finally going to get an explanation? "No, he hasn't really said anything about your family..." Or anything else about himself.

"Sounds like Li'l." And that was Tall, who Leon wasn't entirely sure that he liked very much. Although that might be a little harsh, since maybe he was just as unhappy about this family reunion thing as Johnson seemed to be.

"It's just an old family thing," Big continued as if his brother hadn't spoken. "Passed down for generations; I don't think anyone really knows for sure how it started by this point..."

"Hey!" And he was interrupted by Curly, who punched him in the arm with a blow hard enough to make Leon wince and take a quick step to the side, managing in the process to run into Johnson, who glanced at him with a slightly surprised look. Apparently he hadn't been paying attention to the conversation. "There's Ma and Pa!"

Leon turned his attention forward at that remark, to see a couple walking toward them...

Well, at least he now knew where the brothers got their hugeness from... Their father was _massive_, about the same size as Big—although not quite as muscular—with a thick, black beard. First thought was of a lumberjack, actually.

...Yeah, Pleasantville was getting to him.

Their mother was tall too. Tall and thin with glasses and dark, curly hair that looked like it was just starting to go grey. A very sophisticated sort of woman—almost librarian-like.

"Little!" But then she broke that mental image to pieces when she started running toward them and then threw her arms around his partner, who didn't even look at all phased by the attack.

"How are you doing? Are you enjoying—Pleasantville, is that what the town was called? You need to call more, we've been wondering how everything is going!"

Johnson didn't respond to the hug for a few seconds. Then he slowly reached his arms around her and gave her probably the most awkward hug-type thing that Leon had ever seen. Not bothering to respond to her questions until she released him, taking a step back and smoothing her skirts.

Then he glanced over toward Leon, who flushed slightly as the woman's attention turned to him. He took a step forwards, though, and held his hand out in greeting. "Hello, I'm Leon Kennedy... Johnson's partner."

She blinked at him for a second, glancing toward Johnson with a slightly confused look. Probably wondering why in the world he was here, at a private family reunion. But then her eyes widened and her mouth formed a little 'oh' of realisation. "Leon, of course! So sorry, I remember now. Johnson told us that he got a new partner. I just didn't realise that you'd be so..." She hesitated now, looking him over. "Young."

...He wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I'm twenty-one; I've been well-trained, though..."

"Oh, I'm sorry." And now she hurriedly shook her head. "I wasn't saying that you weren't. I was just..."

"Don't mind her." Their father came over now, walking in at a more reasonable pace. He sent Johnson a quick nod, which was answered similarly, before he held his hand out toward Leon. "She's probably just lamenting her decade of birth."

...Okay?

"So you've been working with our son for a year?"

"Yes." He had the urge to say 'sir', but he wasn't entirely sure if that would actually be appropriate. "I think we work quite well together." For the most part, if you ignored the fact that Johnson was ridiculously secretive about his personal life for some reason.

"Good. Good." He looked like he was about to say something else, but he was suddenly interrupted by his wife's voice, raised in definite anger.

She'd apparently gone over to talk to Johnson again, but was now standing there and glaring at him with a rather terrifying expression. Terrifying enough that the other brothers had all moved away so Johnson was standing there alone, facial expression still mostly blank. Although Leon could see a faint twitch of his lips toward a frown, so he wasn't entirely unaffected by what seemed to rapidly be turning into rage.

"Why do you smell like smoke? I thought that you'd stopped that!" She was resting her hands on her hips now and stepped forward, right into his personal space. "Honestly, Little, we talked about this years ago!"

...Leon was actually incredibly impressed right now, as Johnson actually looked slightly intimidated.

"You don't care if you get lung cancer or something? You have a pack on you? How many are you smoking a day? Is there a pack in the car? You go get it now and give it to me! You are not going to be smoking those death sticks while you're here with your _family_, who you never even write or call or _anything_!"

The other brothers had scooted their way over to join Leon and their dad at the first sign of danger, all three of them looking sufficiently cowed. Until Tall sighed, crossed his arms over his chest, and rolled his eyes toward Leon. "Told him Ma was goin' to be angry..."

* * *

A/N: I think I like Johnson's Mom. Picturing anyone yelling at Johnson is an amusing mental image. And it's totally true. It's not very nice that he never communicates with them or anything. Johnson, you should be nicer to your family!

(...I still love you, though. You just need to be nicer and stop smoking so much. *huggles*)

And can I say that whoever came up with the whole 'we shall all have the same name' thing kind of creeps me out beyond all measure? Seriously, I want to meet the guy and ask him what the heck he was thinking.

And this isn't the chapter 16 that I was talking about before, since that one just wasn't working out and I decided that I wanted to go more into the Johnson family while I could. Although I still haven't entirely explained why they're all named Johnson... Although, I don't think they actually know either, so that's okay.

How it goes with the prompt... seems pretty obvious. Leon is questioning and does not actually receive a satisfying answer. Such is life, Leon.

Next prompt is **Ow!**


	17. 017: Ow!

**017****.** Ow!  
**Characters:** Leon, Johnson, & the rest of the Johnson brood  
**Genre:** Friendship/Family  
**Rating:**T  
**Time Period:**about a year after R&R

* * *

**Meet the Johnsons: Part ****3**

Leon felt slightly guilty right now.

Johnson had brought him here and everything, so he probably should have stayed… Even if he did feel incredibly awkward watching his partner getting yelled at by his mother. Although, at least he could relate, since it had reminded him of the scolding that his aunt had given him after he'd gone out and gotten wasted right after prom. Not a very pleasant memory.

He probably should have stayed as moral support or something like that—not that he could really blame the woman for being upset with him, since Johnson _was _incredibly stubborn when it came to his smoking habit and he seemed rather unhappy about having to be around his family now… But, when Leon had noticed that all of the brothers were distracted by the mostly one-sided argument, he'd decided to take the opportunity to escape.

…You know, he really should learn to _think_ before making stupid decisions.

Since he was currently just wandering around, completely out of his element, since he didn't actually know anybody here. Knew most of their names, though, so he supposed that was a plus.

Such a weird family tradition, although he supposed he couldn't really talk about weird families, since he was related to the terror of the town. At least most of these people seemed friendly enough; most of them would wave or smile when he passed.

There were so many people here too. It was kind of incredible to imagine this many people all related to each other, coming together as a family...

It made him feel a little jealous, actually.

And he immediately pushed that thought aside. He wasn't thinking about that. He was just going to continue his random walk around this park, watching as little kids ran about while their parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents talked amongst each other. Waiting for the food to be ready, probably. Leon had noticed a pavilion earlier that held tables of tinfoil-covered bowls and crockpots, with a few men slaving away over grills.

He was kind of hungry, now that he thought about it.

Anyway, so he was just going to continue wandering through the park until Johnson called him on his cell, wondering where in the world he was…

Although, he paused now, his attention caught by a bearded man sitting at a table, someone who had definitely been pointed out to him earlier.

"_Uncle Paul actually came this year."_

Yes, the non-Johnson uncle. He was still sitting at that same picnic table, still alone and scribbling away in his notebook. Leon just stood there for a moments, watching him curiously. Vaguely wondering what he was writing. And thinking about how the brothers had sounded when they mentioned him. Slightly wary, like there was something about him that they weren't entirely comfortable with...

It had made him incredibly curious. And they'd never actually given him an answer. Just mentioned that the whole 'Johnson' thing was a family tradition or something like that.

They'd called him Uncle _Paul_, though, so apparently there was something different about him. He wasn't privy to the family tradition or something like that.

…Yeah, Leon knew that he really needed to start thinking about things more before he decided to act. As he now just started walking toward the man, only hesitating once he was standing directly in front of the table, awkwardly shifting his weight between his feet.

The man didn't respond for what seemed to Leon like an eternity, although in reality it had probably only been a few moments.

He set his pen down first, the cylindrical object rolling a few inches before coming to a stop. Then he closed the notebook with a decisive smack before finally lifting his head to actually look at Leon.

The man was probably in his late-forties or early-fifties. Exhausted-looking, with dark circles under his eyes that appeared to have been chiseled there long ago… Lips downturned into a slight frown, probably not appreciating the interruption.

"Sorry." So of course Leon's first response was to apologise. And then stand there awkwardly, not entirely sure what he was supposed to say now.

Really thought this one through, didn't you, Leon?

The man just continued to stare up at him, obviously expecting a continuation and possibly an explanation of his presence.

"My name's Leon. Leon Kennedy." He hurriedly started, throwing out his hand in a slightly sporadic motion. "I came with…Little Johnson?" It felt weird calling Johnson _'Little'_ anything. "He's my partner."

The man didn't blink; he just stared up at him. And then accepted the offered hand. "Paul Johnson."

"Hello," Probably should have already said that. "It's nice to meet you."

The man nodded, still staring at him with a slightly puzzled expression. Probably wondering why in the world someone had decided to bother him when he was obviously working on something else. Then he nodded once and shifted his weight into a more comfortable position. "You're Little's partner?" He looked him over for a few seconds. "Never would have pegged him as the type. 'Course, haven't seen him in years, so…"

Leon blinked at him in confusion. What?

"And that means he actually decided to show up this year," he continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a very familiar rectangular box. "Mind if I smoke?"

"No, that's fine." He'd gotten more than used to it.

The man nodded, resting one of the cigarettes in his mouth while he searched his pocket for a lighter. "Gotta be a shock to everybody," he muttered around the object. "Two black sheep decide to show up the same year."

"Black sheep?" Now that was interesting. Leon now lowered himself onto the bench facing the man, watching as he lit the cigarette and took a deep breath of the smoke.

He chuckled as he exhaled. "'Course, every family's got their black sheep, right? Johnson and me, we're the _different _ones here. Although it's mostly me."

Leon nodded once, watching as the pen that had stopped moving earlier started rolling toward him. Must have shifted the table when he sat down—it wasn't moving fast enough for him to bother stopping it, though.

"I'm a writer." He reached over and picked up the pen, tapping it against his closed notebook a few times. "Writing a book about the history of the Johnson family. That's why I'm here, actually. I usually don't bother with family functions, but I figured that it would help with my research to see how the current generation interacts with the older generations."

"Really?" Now that was definitely interesting. "I was just wondering—I mean, when we were walking past, Big mentioned your name and I was a little curious…"

"About why I use my first name? Yeah, not surprising. Like I said, I'm the black sheep. Never really understood the point of following all of the white sheep to wherever the hell they might be going." He tapped his pen against the book again, glancing over toward where a group of children were playing, lips pursed into a tense line… "It's just a tradition—kind of like when a family passes down a Bible or a wedding dress or something like that. Just a very odd tradition."

He now opened the notebook and scribbled a few lines down on an almost-empty page. "I assume you're curious about why almost nobody here uses their first names. If I know Little, he hasn't told you anything, after all."

"Not really."

He nodded, as if that was the expected answer. "It's pretty simple. You're born a Johnson, you're given a first name at birth. Just like any normal kid. And then you're just never called by that name. You get older and people give you a nickname—sometimes it changes every so often, usually it tends to stick. Then, when you're ten or so, your parents sit you down all serious-like and tell you your real name. It's your choice then whether or not to use it…" He chuckled, crossing something else on the page. "Most people decide not to for whatever reason."

Oh.

Leon wasn't sure how to respond to that. He supposed it made sense in a weird way… "So, you decided to use your real name?"

"Yep, when I was about twenty or so. My parents were fine with it—didn't understand why, but they accepted it. Weren't so happy when I decided to move to the city and write. We had a huge row about it and I ended up just leaving with the clothes on my back." He sighed and took another drag on the cigarette. "They were probably right, all things considered. But I was stubborn."

And this conversation was starting to veer into dangerous territory. The sort of territory that made Leon start feeling a little sick to his stomach. So he hurriedly diverted it to another topic. "You said that Johnson's a 'black sheep' too? Or—Little, I guess."

He really couldn't wait to go back to just calling him Johnson. This was just confusing and really weird, since Johnson wasn't little in any way…

"Yeah, most of the family lives around here after all. I think everybody was shocked when he decided to move out to—what's the town called again?"

"Pleasantville."

He snorted. "Weird name for a place. But yeah, nobody expected him to go out there. Expected him to stay and work on the ranch with his brothers."

Ranch? That was interesting. Johnson had never talked about where he grew up… Definitely never said that he grew up on a ranch.

…And now he had the mental image of all of the Johnson brothers as cowboys. Riding on horses.

…Which actually was not as weird a mental image as it should be.

Anyway, moving on.

"Not that I blame him for leaving—those three are…" Paul was continuing. "Well, I assume that you've met them already."

"Yeah." Had the bruises to prove it, too.

He chuckled. "Just imagine growing up with them." Leon was pretty sure he wouldn't survive unless he magically gained super-muscles like Johnson. That would actually explain a lot, now that he thought about it.

He was a little startled when he suddenly heard him chuckle again, and then Paul motioned back behind his back. "Looks like somebody's lookin' for you."

Leon frowned for a second and then glanced back over his shoulder, to see Johnson standing a few yards away, quite obviously searching the surroundings. Presumably for him.

"Oh, sorry!" Crap, he must have been here a pretty long time if Johnson had actually decided to come looking for him. He managed to pull himself to his feet in a few seconds, after disentangling himself from the table. In the process, smacking his knee on the underside of said table and sending a jolt of pain through his leg. Because he was a klutz like that. "Sorry. It was really nice meeting you. I should go."

"No problem. Have fun." He waved once, which Leon answered before he began to half-walk, half-limp toward Johnson. Missing the man's soft laugh as he lowered his head and made another note in his book. "Yep, they're all insane…"

* * *

A/N: I think I like Uncle Paul. He's chill. And a writer, which just makes him like 5 billion times more awesome. Although I really need to stop making so many random OC's that I then decide are actually cool and start fleshing out in my mind. There is no more room in my brain, dudes! I had to add another wing to the character mansion just last weekend!

Do they listen? No. ;P

Mmm, and now I need to get back to working on my final paper due tomorrow at 8 am… Blaaaaah. I hate finals week. And this is the last Johnson family reunion fic. Wee~

Leon is a klutz. Therefore, Ow! Because Leon is a klutz.

Next one is **Rainbow**.

*cough cough* And Johnson and bros are totally cowboys in an alternate universe in my brain. Therefore, I couldn't help but throw it in. Because I have a weird tendency to picture Johnson as a cowboy...

And he's not black. Just to set the record straight, since people keep asking me if he's black. Which semi-confuses me, because I've said multiple times what he looks like...


	18. 018: Rainbow

**018****.** Rainbow  
**Characters:** Ally & Mattie  
**Genre:** Family  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **the day before "Insane First Impressions"

* * *

**Start Over**

Pleasantville.

Mattie had thought that her mom was joking when she'd first mentioned that she was considering taking a different job in another state. Why would they move _now_, after all? They'd been living in the same house for almost their entire lives, she and Ally had friends, and they'd just started their freshman year at the area high school…

Why in the world would their mom suddenly want to pack everything up and move them halfway across the country to some tiny town where they didn't know _anyone_?

She remembered the exact moment when Mom had mentioned Pleasantville for the first time. They'd been sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner—hamburgers that Ally had grilled while she was at work, if Mattie was remembering correctly. And, after a few minutes of silence, Mom had mentioned very off-handedly that her company was looking for someone to relocate within the next few months.

Mattie supposed that she should have thought more of it at the time, but the idea of _moving _was just so foreign. After all, their family had been living in California for practically her entire life, besides a couple years—when she and Ally were toddlers—which they'd spent in Canada. That was where they'd gotten Kumajinimi.

Even after Dad disappeared, they'd stayed in the now-too-big house. They'd felt like they had to stay there, so Dad would be able to find them when he came back.

Except he never came back.

"Pleasantville?" Of course, Ally hadn't taken the time to swallow and was now talking with her mouth full of half-chewed hamburger. Mattie sighed and stared off in the opposite direction. How her sister still managed to live without learning things like basic table manners was beyond her. "Isn't that a movie?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Ally." Mattie had smirked at her mom's usual rebuke. "Yes, there is a movie by that name. That's just the name, though. The boss showed us pictures; it looks like a very nice place."

Honestly, Mattie couldn't believe she'd been so dense at the time. Mom had gone on for a while about how nice Pleasantville seemed; there were lots of kids their own age from what she'd heard, very little crime, lots of parks, nice apartments…

It really shouldn't have come as a shock when Mom told them, two weeks later, that she was planning on taking the job.

But it had. Mom had come up to her and Ally's room one evening and told them that she had something very important to talk with them about. And then informed them that she was planning on taking the job and moving to Pleasantville.

Mattie understood why she wanted to move. She knew that it was hard for all of them, especially Mom, to live in a house that held so many memories of Dad… But, it had still been a shock. They'd have to leave their house, their friends, everything.

And leave that last tiny speck of hope that Dad might still be alive. That someday he might come home to them. Which had been the hardest part for Ally, because she still refused to give up and admit that Dad was probably dead.

It had been four months since that day. They'd packed all of their belongings, managed to sell the house to a family that Mom worked with, and then driven halfway across the country to…

"Dude, that sign has birds drawn on it!"

And that was when Mattie got crushed against her door for the millionth time on this trip. As Ally leaned and scooted over so she could get a better view of the 'Welcome to Pleasantville' sign that they were currently passing. Which _did _in fact have little birds painted on it—little yellow birds…

"I'm 'Mom', not 'Dude', Ally."

"Fine, Mom-Dude… Ooh, look! Those cops pulled that guy over!"

And Mattie found herself _crushed _against the window now, as Ally climbed on top of her in order to reach the button to roll the window down.

And then she proceeded to scream "Busted!" as they passed the cops.

See, this was why Mattie had really wanted to ride shot-gun. But _no_~ Kujamito was currently sitting up front, because he got car-sick if he rode in the back seat.

All she could do was duck down and attempt to turn invisible.

"Hey, look!" Thank God, Ally now threw herself across the seat to _her _window, bouncing excitedly in place as she pointed toward a building just barely visible down one of the streets. "There's our new school! Look how teeny it is!"

Hopefully Ally had calmed down by tomorrow, when they actually had to attend that school. Mattie hated to think of what their classmates would think of her sister if she entered the high school acting like a severely hyper toddler.

"I talked to the administration yesterday and they said that they'd have the student council president give you a tour around the school…" Their mother remarked, as she slowed so they could look at the building. "Your principal's name is Mr. Roma. He was very welcoming. I think he said that the boy's name is Arthur… Arthur Kirkland, I think."

"Arthur, seriously?" Ally now hopped up onto her knees so she could peek over the passenger's seat. "That's such an old person name! I bet he's one of those stuffy types who only cares about school and all that. Borrrring~!"

"Allison, sit down and put your seatbelt back on!" Angry mom voice. "And you shouldn't say something like that when you haven't even met the boy."

Ally responded with a pout, although she did obey after reaching forward and scratching Kumahigi between the ears. Mattie felt a little relieved at the sound of her seatbelt clicking into place. Hopefully now she wouldn't be able to jump over and crush her anymore. "Hopefully there are lots of fun people here…" She sounded a little worried. "Can we move back home if we don't like it here, Mom?"

Like Ally really had to worry. Mattie returned her attention to the window that she'd been gazing out of for most of the trip. Everybody loved Ally; she'd probably have made at least a dozen friends by the end of first period. While she'd be struggling just to work up the nerve to talk to anyone.

Well, at least it was a pretty town. Or, at least this part of it was pretty. They were currently passing a park and she could see people walking and jogging along the path, a pair of boys—Asian, looked like—were rollerblading. The trees were just starting to change colour…

"Dude, look over there! They've got a baseball diamond right over there! I wonder if they have a league?" And Ally was bouncing in her seat again, distractingly.

…Yeah, Ally had nothing to worry about. Mattie sighed as she slouched in her seat. It wasn't even like she'd had that many friends at home. It wasn't like moving was going to make _that _big of a difference. But still… At least she'd _known _people there.

"Don't worry, you two are going to love this place." Their mom now cut into her thoughts, glancing back at them in the mirror. "You'll make plenty of friends."

Maybe.

* * *

A/N: Oh, Mattie, stop being a Negative Nancy. Mommy's always right when it comes to these sorts of things.

Rainbow… Umm, there was a reason for thinking of this with the rainbow prompt… I think it's a metaphorical rainbow. Like how rainbows appear after rain and rain can be used as a symbol of sad times. They're arriving in Pleasantville, which is all colourful rainbow-like after the sad times after their dad died.

…I think that was my reasoning at least. I don't know. The story kind of just went off in it's own direction like it has a tendency to do.

Anyways, so Ally and I talk similarly, I've realised… I use dude a lot. And my mom yells at me when I call her that… So then I decided that she was Mom-Dude and she got even more annoyed.

And then I went back to calling her Madre, which she was okay with, although she rolled her eyes at me when I told her that I called her that because this dude in an Agatha Christie book called him mom "Madre" and I thought it was cool… Then he killed his madre… Which wasn't so cool. So yeah…

Oh, and apparently the world is ending on Saturday… Just thought I'd inform you all, in case you wanted to transfer your life savings over to me in the meantime… :P (Don't think too hard about it, oui? xD)

On an unrelated note, I found out that in the new Resident Evil game, one of your objectives is to kill Leon…

I had a minor panic attack when Prussia-chan told me that. And then I looked up like five billion articles about it and then calmed down, since it's just an AU of RE2 and RE3 game where you're playing as the bad guys. Not actually canon. Actually looks pretty awesome.

Except you have to hunt down and kill Leon.

I feel like I'm going to cry while playing that game…

*snuggles Leon* But I looooooooove you with the passion of a million fangirls. I don't want to shoot you deaaaaad.

Leon: …Please get off of me.  
Me: …No. I don't think I will.

Yes, I am a freak. I am okay with this.

Next one of these is **GREY**.

(Long Authoress Note is loooooong...)


	19. 019: Grey

**019****.** Grey  
**Characters:** Ivan, Lovina, and Feliciana  
**Genre:** Friendship  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **Pre-kindergarten

* * *

**Scarves and Tomates**

The little girls that lived across the street had been sitting on their front porch for a very long time. They'd been sitting there for such a long time that the bigger little girl's hair almost looked white, since it was all covered with the snow that kept falling from the sky.

Ivan liked the snow. It was fun to play in with his sisters, Katyusha and Natalya. They had lots of fun playing in the snow… He didn't like just sitting in it, though. It was too cold when you just sat in it. And the little girls from across the street weren't even wearing hats or mittens or warm scarves like he and Katyusha and Natalya did when they played in the snow. The bigger little girl had even taken off her coat and wrapped it around the littler little girl, who looked like she'd fallen asleep.

Sleeping in the snow didn't seem like it would be fun. Ivan wondered why they hadn't gone back inside to take a nap. When he got cold in the snow, he'd always go inside the house and then Mama would give him and his sisters hot cocoa or borscht.

Or sometimes when he and Katyusha and Natalya were going to play outside for a long time, Mama would give them a big thermos with lots of hot cocoa in it. Which was always nice, because hot cocoa would make your insides feel all warm when you were cold.

Maybe the little girls across the street would like some hot cocoa in a thermos?

Ivan sat at the window for a few more moments, considering this as he watched the two girls. The bigger little girl was hugging the littler little girl very tightly, keeping the snow from falling on her. Maybe she was trying to keep her from getting cold?

Yes, then he should get them some hot cocoa and then they would be best friends. And with that thought, he turned and hopped down from his seat. "Mamochka?"

He found her in the kitchen, standing at the stove and stirring something in a big pot. Dinner, he assumed. She turned her head when he walked in and sent him a smile. "Da, Vanya?"

There was a chair set up beside the stove, which he or Katyusha would sometimes climb up onto so they could help Mama with dinner. He now climbed up onto it and gazed up at his mother. "I am going to be best friends with the girls across the street. I can have cocoa, Mamochka?"

She blinked a few times, looking slightly surprised by the remark. And then she smiled. "You want to play with the little girls across the street? That's wonderful, Vanya." She set her spoon down on the counter next to the stove and spun some dials that made the fire smaller and then walked over to the cupboard where she kept the thermos. "You will make sure to play nicely with them?"

"Da, Mamochka."

"Good." Ivan hopped down from the chair and followed her, watching impatiently as she made the cocoa. It took so long. If Mamochka didn't hurry, then the little girls across the street might go inside and then he wouldn't be able to make friends with them…

His mother glanced back after a moment and smiled, shaking her head slightly. "Go put your coat on, Vanya. And don't forget your scarf and mittens either."

He nodded. "Da, Mamochka."

He dressed himself as quickly as possible, glancing out the window every so often to make sure that the girls were still there. Once he'd finished, he hurried back into the kitchen, where Mama was standing with the thermos.

"Here it is." She pressed it into his mitten-covered hand and then said something about not staying out too long. He wasn't really listening, as he was too excited at the prospect of going out and making new best friends.

The little girls were still sitting in the same spot when he stepped outside, cuddled together on the front porch. Which meant that he could go over and become best friends with them.

Which is what he proceeded to do, making sure to check for cars before crossing the street. Papa had yelled at him once for crossing the street without looking for cars, so he made sure to look now…

The bigger little girl lifted her head as he walked through the snow toward them, looking slightly confused for a moment. And then her lips twitched downwards into an angry frown and her eyes flashed at him like he'd done something bad.

Ivan immediately stopped at that, staring back at her. Unsure why she looked so angry…

She frowned and hugged the littler little girl closer. "S-stupid, go away!"

…Well, Ivan hadn't really expected that sort of reaction. He just stood there for a few moments, blinking as snowflakes kept drifting into his eyelashes.

She wasn't being very friendly. If they were going to be best friends, then she shouldn't say mean things to him.

Then again, she was shaking a lot. He remembered that sometimes when he got really cold, he'd start shaking like that too. So maybe she was just being unfriendly because she was feeling cold and unhappy?

That made sense. The best thing to do then, he decided, would be to give her the cocoa now. So he walked forward, boots crunching in the snow, and held the thermos out toward her like a peace offering. "I brought hot cocoa. We will be friends now, da?"

The little girl's eyes immediately slid to the thermos. She looked like she wanted it, but she pouted instead of taking it and then glared at him again with a slightly scary stare.

"Y-you talk funny, stupid…"

Ivan really wasn't sure how to respond to that. She was the one who sounded funny, actually; it was hard for him to understand what she was saying… Especially since her voice was shaking like how she was trembling.

"Shouldn't you be inside the house if you are cold?" he decided to ask instead. Because Papa said that asking questions was a good way to become friends.

She pouted back, snuggling her nose into the other little girl's hair so that only her eyes were visible. "Ch-chigi~ Mamma stuck the door."

Her Mamma stuck the door? Ivan wasn't sure what that meant… Why would her Mama make the door stuck so they couldn't go inside?

"Stupid F-feli came outside too." And he assumed she was talking about the littler little girl, who was starting to move a little bit. Maybe waking up? That would be good; then he could make _two _new best friends. "Stupid."

"I am Ivan." He should tell her his name, since that was also important with making friends. And now he walked closer, pressing the thermos against her little hand so it'd be easier for her to take it. She responded by glaring at it for a moment, but then opened her hand and wrapped her fingers around the thermos.

And now they could be best friends! At least, once he found out her name.

"Stupid Ivan." She pronounced his name funny, but that was okay… And now she was twisting the cap off the thermos with one hand, while she kept the other wrapped around her little sister.

Who now made a soft noise, nuzzling her face against her sister's chest sleepily. "No wanna wake up…"

"Stupid sorella." And now Ivan was startled as the bigger little girl suddenly lifted her free hand and hit the little girl on the head.

The little girl yelped in response to that and jerked away a little bit, staring at her for a moment before she started pouting up at her. "Ve~ no hit!"

"Stupid sorella." The other girl just glared back. And then pushed the thermos into her sister's hands. "Stupid f-funny-talker brought cocoa."

And now the littler little girl turned her head and Ivan was greeted by a pair of bright amber eyes that lit up slightly when she saw him.

"Ve~!"

She looked happy to see him, which made him feel happier. And then she looked down at the thermos in front of her and smiled happily before lifting it to her mouth and drinking, a little of the cocoa managing to spill from the sides of her mouth.

The other little girl frowned at that and pulled the thermos away, wiping away at her sister's mouth with her sleeve. "Stupid Feli."

"Ve~ Cold, Lovi." And now she nuzzled against her sister again, staring up at her with big eyes.

And now Ivan knew the best way to become friends. He hurriedly stepped forward, pointing toward his house. "You come inside! You come inside and we be best friends!"

The bigger little girl kept glaring at him—maybe she didn't know how to make any other look? But the littler little girl immediately smiled and stood up, reaching out toward him. "Hug! Hug!"

"Stupid!" The bigger girl jumped up too, though, and grabbed her before Ivan could respond. "No!"

"No hug?"

And now the littler-Feli girl looked like she was going to cry. Which made the bigger girl stomp her feet and then pout toward him. "Fine, stupid."

Which seemed to make the other girl happier. As she giggled and held out her hand toward her sister, who took it and then started leading her toward the road. Pausing, however, when she was beside Ivan.

"Hold hands!"

As Feli reached her little hand toward his, sending him a happy smile.

Which Ivan returned, slipping his hand through hers. Wait until Papa and Mamochka found out that he'd made _two _new best friends!

* * *

A/N: Fact #1: Ivan is adorable. Fact #2: Lovi is super cute when she's being a good big sister to her little sister (in her own way). Fact #3: Lovi and Feli's mom needs to jump off a bridge =.=

Which, to explain what exactly happened with them, since Lovi is tiny and therefore can't explain things well. What happened is that their mom got mad at Lovi for something and basically shoved her outside so she wouldn't have to deal with her anymore—with her coat on, so she wouldn't actually freeze or anything. However, Feli (who's like 3 in this story) managed to slip past their mom and got out there too without her noticing. And then Lovi took her coat off and wrapped it around Feli so she wouldn't be cold.

And, I haven't really had a chance to go into it yet, but Ivan, Feli, and Lovi are actually pretty good friends in the Pleasantville!verse. In their own, rather odd way…

In other news, I recently discovered the wonders of my webcam. And I made a random introductory vlog thing… I'm considering starting vlogging… Maybe. At least for a couple weeks… ;P If you have anything to ask me about anything (story-wise or other-wise) that you'd like me to vlog about, you can comment on the video… xD

www . youtube . com / watch ? v = pDkLeVBbUvo

(There's also one that you can find through my livejournal... Which I think turned out better actually... xD)

Oh, and Mamochka is what a little kid would call his mom in Russian. I asked my friend (who is a transfer student from Russia), so I actually know that I'm right for once. Weeee~

Grey is because snow makes me think of grey… Because snow is sort of greyish when it gets all slushy and stuff.

Next one is **Fortitude**.


	20. 020: Fortitude

**020****.** Fortitude  
**Characters:** Gabi, Antonio & Uncle Ferdinand  
**Genre:** Family  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **Antonio = 4 months

* * *

**Hijito**

Voices. All chattering away. So quickly, like some muddled web of sounds that kept twisting and twining together into something that was entirely impossible to understand.

A child nearby was fussing at her mother while standing in front of the soup section. Two men were discussing something in rapid, irritated tones while leaning over a bin of frozen produce. The voices just kept babbling and babbling, faster and faster, muddling into something that Gabriela couldn't even _begin_ to hope to translate.

Six months. She had been in the country for six months now, living with her brother and his wife, and she still understood so little of the language. So that she was completely overwhelmed by something as simple as going to the supermarket. Her ears only managing to catch a few familiar words here and there. Like 'eggs' and 'dinner' and 'school.'

"Gabi?"

Sometimes she wished that she'd stayed in Spain. That she hadn't come to this country…

"…Gabi?"

And she was suddenly startled out of the overwhelming cacophony by the feel of a hand grasping her wrist and a voice saying her name.

"Ah, lo siento." And that's what she got for not paying attention. She was supposed to be here helping her brother with his grocery shopping while also practicing her English, and instead she was standing in the middle of the produce aisle feeling homesick.

She hurriedly lifted her head and attempted to smile reassuringly toward a pair of almost-identical dark eyes. "I just…" And then hesitated, searching her mind for the right word, "thinking. Just thinking."

Ferdinand didn't look completely reassured, but he did nod and send her a fond smile before turning and pointing toward the display rack that he had been examining earlier. "Do you remember what this is called, Gabi?"

"Bread." That was easy. What was difficult was attempting to understand all of the voices surrounding her, all of the accents and dialects and tones and…

And she was interrupted from her internal dialogue again, this time by a soft "Ba ba ba ba ba…" coming from the carrier settled in the shopping cart that her brother was currently pushing.

"Sounds like he woke up."

"Ba ba ba ba…"

Yes, because she couldn't tell that on her own. Gabi rolled her eyes toward her sibling, who just responded with an amused laugh and then began walking farther down the aisle, leaving her with the cart and baby.

Who was currently wide awake and staring at her with bright, beautiful, emerald green eyes… And immediately smiled as soon as she turned attention on him, eyes flashing toward a couple as they walked by before returning to her.

"¿Sí, bebé?" And he smiled at that too, cooing while kicking his feet a few times. "¿Estás feliz?"

She loved watching her baby. Adored everything _about_ her baby. How he'd giggle and babble when he was happy—which seemed to be most of the time, really. She must be doing at least something right, since he really seemed to be an incredibly happy baby. He only ever really cried when he was dirty or hungry and, even then, he'd stop crying as soon as she set foot inside the room. Apparently trusting that she was going to make everything better.

Which, of course she did, so she supposed his trust was well-founded.

"Ba ba ba ba…" He also seemed to love 'talking', since he spent most of his conscious time babbling, either to himself or whoever happened to be nearby. Usually while trying to grab at his feet or her hair or his toys or anything within reach of his pudgy little fingers.

"You coming, Gabi?"

And Ferdinand had already reached the end of the aisle and was now leaning against a pile of canned peaches, smirking back at her.

Big brothers… Such impatient creatures.

The cart squeaked when she first began to push it, although it soon settled into a mostly-noiseless trek. And she could just push it while watching Antonio's beautiful eyes dart around while he sucked on the edge of his blanket. It was fun to watch him, see how curious he was about everything that surrounded him. All the bright colours and movements and sounds. Obviously he wasn't nearly as intimidated by their surroundings as she was.

"We can learn English together, bebé." He looked up at her again and she leaned down and nuzzled her face against his soft dark hair, which was already starting to curl.

He'd probably end up looking exactly like his father.

And that wasn't what she really wanted to be thinking about right now, although at least it helped her remember why she'd come here. Even if she didn't know the language or anyone besides her brother and sister-in-law… At least now Antonio wouldn't be growing up anywhere near that cabrón.

She sometimes wondered about what he was doing now… She tried not to, since she knew that it was just hurting herself. But it was impossible to just _forget _about him. Sometimes she'd be lying awake in bed late at night and she'd start wondering.

She imagined that he was probably incredibly successful—or at least _would_ be in a few years. He'd always been incredibly intelligent and a hard worker and he had plenty of connections, so she had no doubt that he'd find success quite easily. And then she'd start wondering if he'd found someone else. His family and society would expect him to find some respectable girl that he would marry and have a family with… She imagined that he'd try to bury the past. Never talk about her or their baby.

Which was perfectly fine, because she didn't want him to have anything to do with her baby. Since Antonio was just _hers_. He had given up all rights to Antonio when he told her that he'd only continue loving her if she ended the pregnancy and pretended that nothing had ever happened.

As if she'd believe that.

"Ba ba ma ma ma…"

Gabi blinked, glancing down at Antonio—she'd started zoning off, which she shouldn't be doing, since she shouldn't be thinking about him—and immediately smiled as she saw that he'd found the rattle that she'd placed next to him in his carrier.

And he was now banging it around, babbling to himself like he always did.

"Sí. Mamá." And it didn't matter how many times she heard him say that word—which probably shouldn't even be considered a word, since she doubted that he actually knew what it meant—she always felt her heart swell up with happiness when he looked at her and babbled those sounds…

"Oi, hermanita!"

…She really needed to stop zoning off. She lifted her head and looked up, surprised to notice that she wasn't currently standing in the same aisle that she'd started off in. And her brother was standing _behind _her, instead of in front of her. Smirking at her with an annoyingly superior smile.

"Just because Antonio's cute doesn't mean you can get out of lessons that easily." He pointed toward a few boxes nearby. "What are those?"

"Napkins."

"And those?"

"…Glasses."

"And those?"

Sometimes she still rather wished that she'd stayed in Spain, though. Just because at least then she wouldn't be constantly surrounded by annoying older brothers.

And the fact that Antonio now suddenly gave a loud, piercing squeal of what was probably excitement, knowing him, was enough to convince her that he _completely _agreed.

* * *

A/N: …Mhm so I love Antonio's madre. She's sweet and adorable and I want to hug her… And she's like…16-17 in this fic, just to let you know.

Baby!Tonio is adorable. And talkative. Even from a young age, he would never shut up. xD

…Is it bad that I want to go all match(dot)com on Gabi and have her get into a relationship with someone else? Since she's such a sweetie and that way she won't be lonely when Tonio and Lovi move away…

How it goes with the prompt. Fortitude means mental strength in facing adversity and difficulty. Which, it'd definitely be pretty difficult to be a single mom at 16 after having your boyfriend ditch you and then having to move to another country where you don't speak the language.

Next one is **Vacation**.


	21. 021: Vacation

**021****.** Vacation  
**Characters:** the Johnson family  
**Genre:** Family  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **Big =12, Tall = 10, Curly = 9, Little = 5

* * *

**Little Johnson has an Adventure**

Little Johnson often felt very _very _confused by his family. Since they were all incredibly strange and really didn't make any sense to him… They all enjoyed being so noisy, after all. Little had never understood that, although then again, it seemed like _everybody_ in the entire world liked being noisy. Mama would sometimes take him to places like the mall with his big brothers and he'd be surrounded by all sorts of loud people and it was really hard to get away from them all.

And then Mama always got upset when he went away to find somewhere to hide. Usually the book store, since it was nice and quiet and they had lots of books with pictures that he could look at.

His bigger brothers were the ones who were the noisiest, though. And it was very _very _hard to hide from them, especially since Mama and Papa didn't seem to like it when he stayed in his room and played with his toys by himself. They'd sometimes come into his room and ask him why he wasn't playing with his brothers. And then Papa would usually pick him up and carry him into the other room to play with Curly and Tall and sometimes Big.

…And then Curly would be loud and excited and want him to play lots of games with him. Often involving water guns.

Anyway, so Little Johnson didn't really understand his family. And this last week had just cemented that confusion. Since Mama and Papa had spent most of the week running all over the place, putting lots of their clothes and toys into big bags… Mama had even come into his room and taken some of his books away, telling him that they were going on 'vacation'.

'Vacation' had so far consisted of him being buckled into his car seat with a little baggie of crackers and a sippy-cup of apple juice, Big sitting next to him. And Tall and Curly had been in the backseat, where they proceeded to spend most of the car ride fighting… At least until Papa had told them that they were going to have to stay home alone if they didn't stop.

And they'd been in the car for lots of days, too. Except for at night, when they'd sleep in buildings with lots of rooms with beds in them.

And today they were standing over a really really _really_ big hole in the ground.

…That seemed like a lot of work just to go see a big hole.

"Beautiful, ain't it, kids? One of the seven natural wonders of the world!"

Little glanced up toward Papa, who was now looking out at the big hole with a huge smile on his face. Obviously very excited to go see such a big hole. And Big was standing near the railing, taking lots and lots of pictures with the camera that Mama and Papa had given him. They'd also given Tall and Curly one too, although Curly had already used up all his pictures because he liked taking pictures of the lizards and bugs and snakes that they saw.

A few feet away, Mama was holding onto Curly with one hand and Tall with the other, not looking very happy with them. Probably because Curly had just tried to climb up onto the railing so he could see the big hole better.

"What do you think, Li'l?" And now Papa was staring down at him, still smiling. "You like the Grand Canyon?"

Hm, so apparently the big hole in the ground had a name. He stared out at it for a few more seconds, and then nodded once. Not that he understood why they were here, but Papa seemed to want him to like it.

"The Grand Canyon's 'bout 277 miles long and eighteen miles wide at some parts." Big suddenly remarked from where he was standing on the bottom rung of the railing, taking another picture of the canyon.

"Get down, Big." Papa immediately responded, before he turned back toward Little. "Isn't that cool, Li'l?" He now bent down onto one knee and nodded toward his brother. "Big here's been studyin' the canyon in school, so your Ma and I thought y'all'd like to come see it."

"Look't this, ma!"

And they were interrupted—as they often were—by a shout coming from Curly. Who was standing quite a ways away from the canyon, kneeling down beside something that looked like a bunch of curled up rope.

And Mama looked up at that. She was currently holding Tall's foot in her hands, and since Tall was crying Little assumed that he must have hurt himself. Or he was pretending to have hurt himself… Tall did that a lot too.

"What?"

Curly looked up, a huge grin on his face. "I found a snake, Ma! And it's got a funny-lookin' thing on its tail!"

And Little had never seen his Papa and Mama move that fast before. Mama immediately jumped to her feet, knocking over Tall who started crying harder. And Papa jumped up and started running as fast as he could toward Curly. He even managed to reach him first, grabbed him under the arms, and pulled him backwards away from the ropey-thing that was apparently a snake.

"Curls!" And Big jumped down from the railing and ran toward them too.

Leaving Little standing there all by himself and Tall sitting in the dirt and crying even harder, probably trying to get Mama to pay attention to him again.

...It was all very _very _loud. Tall crying and Mama and Papa were both yelling at Curly and telling him that he wasn't supposed to play with snakes. And he really didn't like it when people were being so _loud_.

Which was why he started slowly backing away from the chaos. Because maybe he could find somewhere quiet to hide, like he did in the mall. Although he wasn't sure where he could go, since there weren't any stores with lots of books out here. Just a big hole in the ground and lots of people with cameras.

Although at least they ignored him as they pressed against the railings and took lots of pictures of the big canyon, not noticing as he walked around their groups.

Or most of them did... He hadn't managed to walk very far before a pair of legs suddenly stopped in front of him and a very _loud _voice called down, "Hey there, kiddo! You lost?"

Little didn't understand why grown-ups always asked him if he was lost when he went to go find somewhere to hide from all the loud people. Mama always knew where to find him, so he couldn't be _lost_.

The big man now knelt down in front of him, though, flashing him a big smile. Like most grown-ups did when they thought he was lost. "Did you lose your parents?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he just stared up at the man, who was just looking back at him.

"Do you know where your Mommy is?" The big man had now reached into his pocket and pulled out a black thing that he now pushed a button on and held to his mouth. "I've found a kid here, probably about four or five. I'm gonna see if I can find his parents; send me a call me if they come to the station."

It was like Curly's walky-talky, except his was yellow and blue and he'd broken it last week when he dropped it out of a tree that he decided to climb.

"What's your name?"

Little didn't answer for a moment. And then, "Johnson."

"And what's your first name, kiddo?"

...He just stared up at the big man, who now wasn't smiling quite as brightly.

Grown-ups always asked such strange questions. The man that Mama and Papa sometimes took him to—the one with the funny hair who had lots and lots of toys to play with in his room—had asked him that question too. And then had talked to Mama and Papa for a long _long_ time while the lady at the desk, the one who had an outfit with doggies on it, had let him colour pictures.

"Well, why don't you and I go look for your Mommy and Daddy?"

The big man didn't say anything else for a minute. Instead, he just stared at him while Little stared back. Then he stood and reached a hand down toward him. "You're not very talkative, are you?"

Grown-ups said that a lot too...

The man took his hand after a few moments and began leading him away, in the opposite direction of where Mama and Papa and his big brothers were.

He followed anyway. After all, Mama always found him when he went away from her. Although, he really wished the big man hadn't decided to grab his hand, since he didn't like it when people grabbed him. Especially since the big man's hand was all wet and slimy...

Oh well, he knew Mama would come soon. And then she'd probably yell at him and then give him hugs like she always did when she came to find him after he wandered away to find somewhere quiet.

"And if we can't find your parents in a little bit, I can take you back to the centre. I'll bet that Ellie'll have plenty of toys and snacks for you."

And he might even get snacks and toys before she found him...

* * *

A/N: Oh, little Little Johnson... I find it amusing how if he were an only child, he'd be the easiest baby ever. But since he's not, he ends up being the little troublemaker who runs away all the time. And I'm pretty sure giving him snacks and toys when he runs away is positive reinforcement for a negative action... Which is probably not very good.

...I feel like I've almost shown all of the main characters as a little kid at this point. Except for Leon. And you will see little Leon eventually. Because he's adorable and snuggable.

Sorry I haven't been writing the chaptered stories recently. I just have mega writer's block for like all of them right now :( Sad face. And haven't really been in the mood to write since it's been one of _those_ weeks... On the plus side, though, I have gotten very far in Kingdom Hearts and have officially established that this game is kind of superly awesome. Even if it took me two hours to get past one of the boss battles. Because I am simultaneously not very good at this game and also ridiculously stubborn and refused to give up until I defeated it.

Umm, in other news... This chapter was Prussia-chan's fault, since we were talking last night on facebook and she said that there was something on TV about the "Johnson Family Vacation" which led to a very long conversation about Johnson and his siblings... While I was actually fighting said two hour long Kingdom Hearts boss battle. ;D Plus we had a discussion before about how Johnson is such a typical youngest sibling, so yeah... Blame her.

Next one of these is **Mother Nature**.


	22. 022: Mother Nature

**022.**Mother Nature**  
Characters:** Leni, Luca, Gillian, Ludwig & a special guest appearance  
**Genre:** Family  
**Rating:**K+  
**Time Period:**Gillian=age 6

* * *

**About ****Sunburns and Siblings**

"Thirty minutes, Gillian. That's it. Then you can come out and play with Mutti and Vati under the umbrella."

"Ja, Mutti."

"And don't push your bruder under the water. You know that Ludwig doesn't like it when you do that."

You know, there were hundreds of places in the world that Leni would have enjoyed visiting as part of a family vacation. There were plenty of beautiful cities or places out in nature… She wasn't really picky when it came to planning vacations.

And Luca's mother _knew_ about Gillian's albinism. It wasn't like it was some huge family secret or anything. So why in the world had she decided to have their extended family vacation _here_? Somewhere where she would not only have to worry about her kids drowning each other, but also have to keep Gillian on a short leash so she didn't end up frying to a crisp.

"Can I go swimming _now_, Mutti?"

And keeping Gillian on a short leash was _much_easier said than done.

Said six-year-old daughter was currently sitting in front of her, already more than ready to escape and go play on her own. Which was understandable, since she'd been sitting there for at least half an hour, waiting as Leni had layered her with as much sun block as she could.

She had no idea if it would be enough, but she doubted that Gillian would be able to hold still for much longer. So she finally set the almost empty bottle down beside her and then smiled and lightly tugged on the end of her daughter's braid. "You make sure that you stay close to Ludwig and don't go anywhere in the water if your _whole_ foot can't touch the bottom."

"Ja, Mutti."

And at least she knew that various members of Luca's family were going to be in the water, keeping a close eye on the kids. "All right, then. Go have fun."

She wasn't at all surprised when Gillian responded with a loud 'Woot!'. Or by the fact that she was on her feet, racing toward the water in a matter of seconds. Almost managed to knock an older woman right over in the process.

That girl… Leni sighed and shook her head in amusement at her daughter's antics. She often wondered how in the _world_ she and Luca had managed to have two children with such opposing personalities. Quite, serious little Ludwig and then rambunctious, mischievous little Gill… Gill actually reminded Leni more of her _brother_than either of them.

Although she was drawn out of those thoughts as a shadow suddenly fell across her legs. And she looked up to see her husband standing above her and holding a pair of margaritas.

There were so many reasons why Leni adored her husband. The fact that he often seemed to be able to read her mind and know exactly what she needed was only one of those reasons.

"Did you finish with Gill, schatzi?"

"Ja." She scooted over on the blanket so Luca could join her, plucking one of the glasses out of his hand as he settled himself beside her. "I told her to come back in half an hour and to make sure that she could touch bottom when she went out into the water and to not push Ludwig underwater…" She took a sip from her glass and then gave a soft sigh of contentment. "Which means we probably have about ten minutes until she 'forgets' and Luddy comes up here to hide with us."

Luca nodded and then glanced over toward the bottle of sun block. "Did you put any on yourself yet?"

"No, although I'm pretty sure that my hands are going to be absolutely impenetrable for the next few years."

He nodded and then squirted a glob of lotion into his hands. "Then I'll make sure to get the rest of you."

And there you go, Leni was pretty sure that her husband had the ability to read at least her mind sometimes. She sent him a thankful, _slightly_flirting smile in response and then settled herself facing away from him so he could put lotion on her back.

She had a wonderful view of the water from here too… A greenish-blue colour right now, a few boats off in the distance. And she could see Gillian and Ludwig playing in the waves. Ludwig was holding hands with his grandmother, standing right at the very edge so the waves would come up and cover his feet occasionally. While Gillian was standing farther out, throwing herself at the waves every time they broke.

And she sighed in pleasure as Luca's cool hands began rubbing against her shoulders, massaging the muscles that she hadn't even realised were tensed.

"Do you think it would have been better for me to just tell your mother that we weren't coming?" She closed her eyes, focusing entirely on the feel of his hands rubbing against her skin. "For Gill?"

Luca made a noncommittal grunt as one of the hands disappeared for a moment, probably so he could take a drink from his own glass. "Not necessarily. The doctor said that we have to let her live as normal a life as possible." The hand returned and pressed particularly hard against a spot near the centre of her back.

"Besides the fact that it would give your mother another reason to hate me."

Not that she really cared too much what Luca's mother thought about her, since the feeling was mostly mutual. Especially since this whole beach idea had been brought up. As she had not only failed to take Gill into account when making plans, but she hadn't even really offered Leni the option of declining the invitation. As she'd decided to inform their family about the vacation plans while Gill and Ludwig both happened to be in the room with them.

And of course Gillian had gotten incredibly excited at the idea of going somewhere new. What little girl wouldn't? And her grandmother had just goaded her by spending most of the rest of the visit describing all the things that the kids would be able to do at the beach. Which didn't leave Leni with much that she could say unless she wanted to look like the bad guy in front of both of her kids.

She'd spent the rest of the evening seething to poor Luca about it, while he'd attempted to calm her down and then finally told her that he'd visit the doctor the next day and ask him if he thought it was okay to take Gill to the beach.

And here they were now… Leni doing her best to avoid his mother for as long as she could.

"Mother doesn't hate you, she just…" he hesitated for a moment, hands moving down to rub against her upper arms in a soothing motion. "She just hasn't had the chance to really get to know you. You know that she really loves the kids…"

Yes, she knew that. It was the main reason why Leni tolerated the woman, besides the fact that she knew that Luca really cared about his family and she didn't want to cause tension there. Even if it was annoying to have to constantly pretend that she didn't understand his mother's non-subtleties. Her constant remarks about how it was such a shame that Gill took after _her_more than she took after Luca. Or the rather obvious hints that she thought that it would have been better if Luca married someone who was more refined, less outspoken… All of that.

"Ja, I know." Honestly, if she didn't love him so much, she would have told that woman off years ago.

Which was why she decided to just drop it right now and instead leaned back so she was now settled against his chest with her head resting against his shoulder. And she relaxed, eyes closing and lips quirking upward a bit as she felt his hands flutter over her nervously for a moment—obviously she'd shocked him a little bit. Eventually his arms settled over her stomach, drawing her closer as he rested his chin on top of her head and then sighed.

"Leni…"

She didn't often get the chance to do something like this; just relax in her husband's arms while listening to the waves break against the sand and feel the warm sun and sea breeze. She knew that she wouldn't get to enjoy it for very long. In about five minutes or so, she'd have a soaking wet little body attempting to climb up into her lap after all. As either Gillian would end up finding something interesting to show her like a shell or a brightly-coloured rock. Or Ludwig would run up here in an attempt to escape from his occasionally overly-exuberant sister.

Neither of which she really minded, since she absolutely adored both of her babies and loved to cuddle with them. But it was sometimes nice to get the chance to just sit here with Luca and relax…

"Good morning, Leni. Lovely day for a trip to the beach, isn't it?"

And that relaxed feeling was shattered. Just like that. By a voice that she most definitely had not expected to hear.

Probably one of the last voices that she ever would have expected to hear in this sort of setting. Particularly as that voice belonged to someone who wasn't supposed to be in this country right now.

"Good morning to you as well, Luca. It's been a while."

And Luca's loose grip around her immediately disappeared, which sent a wave of annoyance through her. That voice had better not belong to him. She knew it did belong to him, but for his sake… He'd better hope that she was wrong.

"Fritz? Ah, hello… What are you doing—I mean, it _has_been a long time."

Sometimes Leni had the intense urge to strangle her older brother. This was one of those times.

She slipped her eyes open, immediately sending the most irritated glare that she could muster toward the man who was standing right in front of her. Her five-year older brother, who was standing right in front of her. On a beach, wearing a pair of professionally-pressed dress pants and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, probably his attempt to blend in to his surroundings.

What the hell—

Leni knew that she really shouldn't be so surprised by the fact that Fritz was standing right in front of her, as her brother had an incredibly annoying habit of showing up places without any sort of prior warning. But showing up on vacation was a new one.

"What in the world are you doing here? I thought you were in Austria for the week."

He worked for some very important business; that was about the extent of what she knew about her brother's job. She knew that he worked for some important business in Germany and he traveled all over the world as part of his important work, which wasn't a problem since he'd always enjoyed travelling and he wasn't married to anything _besides_ the job. The last time she'd talked to him—about two weeks ago—he'd told her that he was going to be in Austria for a while.

So what was he doing standing in front of her on a beach in Virginia?

"I was. We finished early and I decided to take some time off for a vacation."

"How did you know we were here?"

Leni pretty much knew the answer to that question without even having to ask.

"That was simple." He stood there, completely straight-faced as he spoke. "I logged onto your email account. Since you bought your plane tickets online and made all of your hotel reservations online, it was quite easy to find out where you were staying. Then I just asked which beaches are the most popular and made the assumption that you would probably be visiting them at some point. Since your bathing suits were missing from the luggage in your hotel rooms, I assumed that you'd decided to visit today."

You know, people—particularly Luca's mother—liked to say that she was a bad example to her children. At least she didn't break the law, except in situations where there was no other option, and then just admit to doing so as if it were entirely normal.

And now he just turned his head toward the water, loosening his collar slightly as he did so. "I assume that my nichte and neffe are playing in the water, schwester."

"Ja. Gillian and Ludwig are down there."

He nodded, glancing toward her for a moment before turning completely toward the beach. "Then I will go see them. We can have dinner together tonight. There's a lovely restaurant nearby that you'll both enjoy. I'll send transportation to your hotel room around six o'clock. Semi-formal dress."

And he was walking down the beach, completely ignoring the confused looks that he got from people as he did so. Because only Fritz would walk down a beach in formal wear…

The only good that might come out of this? Luca's mother would either end up being charmed by Fritz, like practically everyone that they'd ever met, or she'd see him for the absolute demon that he was and realize that she really wasn't _that_bad in the grand scheme of things.

Hopefully a win-win for her. Although she had no doubt that Gillian would have learned a few more _tricks_before Fritz decided to head back to Germany, which would hopefully be soon.

* * *

A/N: Howdy y'all! I'm back from vacation! Which was so much fun. We went to Busch Gardens, colonial Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach. Which is what prompted this story. Didn't get any writing done the entire time since we were so busy and anytime we weren't doing stuff I was absolutely exhausted.

Anyway, so that's where I've been. In other news, this chapter was written especially for my lovely Prussia-chan because yesterday was her birthday! Happy birthday, Prussia-chan! I love you! *insert billions of internet hearts here* It should have been done yesterday, but I went on a video game review-watching binge because she and I were discussing video games and what would happen if my Leon met the Resident Evil Leon and how I am so stuck on Kingdom Hearts right now because of the stupid treasure chest that I didn't break because I missed the path that I was supposed to take and how RE: Damnation is apparently going to be released in 3D in Japan and how awful it would be if they put Leon in the live action movies. Which are awful in and of themselves, so you know... Etc. etc. etc. Oh, and we also established that my name fits into the Sephiroth song. So there's that too.

...So yeah, all of that to say that she distracted me from finishing her birthday present in a timely manner.

And also on that note, happy late birthday to Mattie and birthday to Ally. ;D

How the prompt relates? Leni is a mother and they're in nature.

And I'm not sure if I'm happy with this chappy, but it took a ridiculously long time to write. And I finally got to actually bring Uncle Fritz in! I've been trying to bring him in for a while, but he wasn't cooperating.

Next prompt is **CAT**. I think... I'm too lazy to actually check. xD I'm relatively sure it's cat.


	23. 023: Cat

**023.** Cat  
**Characters:** Kiku, Eli, Heracles & Lizzie  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period:** Freshman year

* * *

**This Afternoon**

It was a beautiful day in Pleasantville. The sun was shining in a perfect azure sky; the birds were busy singing their happy little bird songs. It seemed as if ninety percent of the town's population had migrated from their homes in order to bask in the wonders of Mother Nature.

In other words, today was the perfect day for Kiku to engage in his 'research'...

"Oi, Kiku, check out the legs on _that _chick. Damn, I might have to go introduce myself later."

Or, today would have been the perfect day for research if it weren't for the fact that Kiku had never really mastered the art of saying 'no' to people. And because he'd never gained that ability, he was currently stuck doing research with Elijah Héderváry.

...Ah, but it wasn't like he minded spending time with him. Eli-kun was one of Kiku's friends and one of his most loyal customers. However, it was hard to do research when you were constantly distracted by remarks about the women that you were watching.

"What about a bath house for the setting of the next book? I've already got the most awesome plot in mind."

And there was also the fact that Eli was one of those incredibly exuberant people who occasionally felt the need to throw an arm around his friend's shoulder or punch him in the arm. Which is what he did at this moment, almost managing to knock the Japanese boy's camera right out of his hands in the process.

"I suppose we could do that, Eli-kun," Kiku responded while attempting to put some space between them. Not that he could move very far away, since they were currently kneeling behind a row of bushes and watching a pair of girls who were having a picnic together.

You had to be careful while doing this kind of research. If the girls noticed them watching, it was quite possible that they'd get the wrong idea...

"Dude, look at _her_. We should do this more often."

And Kiku was currently doing his best to ignore his friend. He nodded distractedly in response to the remark as he carefully set the camera between his knees and then pulled his well-worn sketchpad from the depths of his knapsack.

This was the sort of feminine interaction that he needed to observe as part of his research. The two girls—they may be either best friends or perhaps even a couple—were sitting beside each other, cross-legged and laughing as they shared their meal.

Maybe he should add a picnic scene to his dating simulation game... He made a quick note in the front of his sketchpad and then turned to a clean sheet and began carefully sketching the scene taking place right in front of him.

It was incredibly easy—too easy—to lose track of what was going on in the outside world when he started sketching. His eyes would occasionally lift so he could glance over the image he was currently attempting to capture, but then they would immediately duck back toward the book as he scratched a fold into her skirt with the tip of his pencil.

His art was so distracting that he almost managed to completely forget about Eli's presence. At least, until a hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder and a voice whispered much-too-close to his ear, "Yaoi freak at three o'clock..."

The sudden physical contact startled him into dropping his pencil right into the dirt.

And for a moment, Kiku just stared at it. Before he felt a quick spark of annoyance pass through his mind. Not that he allowed the irritation to reveal itself through his expression...

"Ugh, what's _she _doing out here anyway? I thought vampires fried in the sunlight."

Kiku ignored the remark and focused on retrieving the renegade pencil. Then returned it to its bag before he lifted his eyes toward the figure walking toward them.

And he immediately felt his heart leap right up into his throat in a desperate attempt to choke him to death. Which honestly might be preferable...

Because Elizaveta was currently walking straight toward him, a pleased smirk twisting her lips upward as her curls bounced around her shoulders.

And walking behind her—at a much slower pace and with a tiny calico kitten sleeping contentedly in his arms—was Heracles.

Ah, this was definitely not good.

See, Kiku greatly enjoyed spending time with Heracles when it was just the two of them. They spent lots of time together, after all. Often they would sit together in perfect silence, Hera-kun napping in the grass while Kiku read or sketched. Or sometimes they'd take walks together and have long conversations about philosophy or history or whatever they wanted to talk about really...

However, being around Heracles while Elizaveta was nearby was always an incredibly awkward, uncomfortable experience.

"Hello, Kiku!" And she sped up when she noticed his attention on her. "How are you doing?"

"Uh, I am doing well... It's very nice outside today." He stood, quickly glancing over his shoulder toward the girls, who thankfully didn't seem to have noticed anything suspicious. Although, that was probably only because a soccer ball had just been kicked toward them and they were paying more attention to _that _than to the people who had just appeared from behind a bush

She continued. "And what are you doing way over _here_ on such a beautiful day?" She sent a glare toward Eli, who stuck his tongue out toward her in response. Kiku had seen enough of their arguments to be able to guess where this was going. "Heracles and I just ran into each other over near the picnic tables."

And Eli butt in before he could respond in a way that would hopefully keep the peace. "We were hanging out, Liz, so why don't you go and get lost?"

And that was it. The siblings immediately sent each other furious glares, hands moving toward the zippers of their matching backpacks—and Kiku picked up his own knapsack and slid around to where Heracles was standing a few feet away.

"You're making him work on that stupid _lesbian porn _book, aren't you? Why don't you ever leave poor Kiku alone so he can work on something _better_?"

"What, like your _gay porn_? Like that's any better. Seriously, it's almost enough to make me vomit just thinking about it!"

They were now facing each other, frying pan and skillet at the ready. The girls that he and Eli had been watching earlier were now staring at the feuding siblings in absolute amazement... They must be new to town.

And Heracles was staring at him with _that_ expression—the one that was probably exclusive to him, simultaneously managing to be rather sleepy and yet very focused.

"Ah, good morning, Hera-kun..."

"Yuri freak!"

"Yaoi pervert!"

Heracles didn't immediately respond to Kiku's remark, which was completely normal for him. Instead he blinked at Kiku sleepily for a few seconds and then finally nodded once. The kitten had opened her eyes and she now mewed at the Japanese boy. He responded by reaching forward and scratching between her ears.

"Want to go?" Heracles hadn't even acknowledged the two fighting behind him and Kiku had almost managed to forget about their presence.

Now he just flushed slightly, glancing back toward the siblings quickly. Before nodding once. "H—hai."

* * *

A/N: And life does not want to settle down for me. Sigh.

Well, here's a quick little something. I kind of felt like just doing a slice of life thing without really too much going on. And I couldn't think of anything kitty-like for this that didn't involve Kiku and Heracles. Because they love kitty-kitties.

And goodness, Lizzie and Eli. You need to calm down and talk some things out.

Also, really random thing that I thought about. You know how there's the stereotype-thingy about how guys are either attracted to ass, boobs, or legs? Yeah, I may or may not have thought about this randomly while at work a while ago. xD Haha. Although I'm only sure about Eli, Arthur, and Franny right now, since they're the ones who have had multiple partners... And are more pervy in general.

Yeah, just thought of that... Since Eli is going on about those random girls' legs. *shakes head* Oi, guys...

And the next one is **No Time**.


	24. 024: No Time

**024****.** No Time  
**Characters:** Lovi & Feli's parents/great-grandparents  
**Genre:** Drama/Tragedy  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period:** 4 months into pregnancy with Lovi

* * *

**Trapped**

Nightmare. This had to be a nightmare.

"Of course, you must understand our situation." Dark eyes, surveying him. Harsh and cold and uncaring, as if he were an insect crushed under a glass. "We just _can't_ let this get out to the public. I'm sure you can imagine the headlines…"

His hands were shaking. This _had _to be a nightmare. It couldn't—something like this _couldn't_ be happening.

He'd been _drunk_. Drunk, angry, depressed… He'd just lost his job. Fourth one in less than a year. Drinking alone in a filthy, vile-smelling bar. Lost in the darkness that surrounded him. And when that beauty—_cruel, vicious, evil _beauty—had come up to him with that bitter smirk…

It'd just been one _fucking_ night… One fucking mistake and…

He was nothing more than an insignificant pest to these demons, seated on their thrones and handing down judgment like a pair of gods. For one stupid _stupid_ mistake.

"The wedding will take place this weekend." They continued speaking, completely disregarding his presence. "It will be a completely private affair. But that won't be a problem, correct? After all, your family members all live in Italy."

He'd been silent up to this point, too shocked by what was happening to even consider speaking. But now he took a faltering step forward. "I—you can't…!" And he was stumbling over his own words. "You—you can't just order me to marry that…"

He hurriedly stopped himself—he had to remain calm—and then continued. "You can't order me to marry your daughter. I admit that we made a mistake, but…"

But… He couldn't…

…_Evil. Evil, spiteful, almost inhuman…_

It had hypnotized him that night. The destructive and dangerous beauty who seemed to be the very embodiment of the hatred and anger that he felt towards the world. They'd buried themselves in the darkness and torn and destroyed…

And now_—?_

It had just been _one night_. One night to lose himself in anger and hatred. And then he'd moved _on_.

He'd found a new job, moved to a new apartment, and he'd met his _Livna_. His beautiful, pure, and perfect Livna, who was probably waiting in her apartment with a rapidly-cooling dinner, nervously biting at her bottom lip as she stared at the telephone… Telling herself that it was silly to worry.

He couldn't… He couldn't go back to that night… He _couldn't_…

"We understand that this solution is not ideal, Signor Nasca, but understand that there is really no other option. The scandal that this situation could bring upon our family would be devastating." They rose as if a single entity. The two figures towering over him.

And the woman spoke, her words piercing. "You must understand, Signor Nasca, that you truly do not have a choice in this matter. If you refuse our very_ generous _offer, then we would be forced to have you arrested."

…_No…_

She continued, her lips twisting up into a familiar—_blood-thirsty, evil, demonic!_—smile. "And I'm sure that _none_ of us want that."

_None of us want that._

If he refused. If he refused to marry that girl—the one he'd impregnated that damned night, then he'd have to defend himself against one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the city. In the state, probably in the _country_…

And he'd lose. Of course he'd lose. They wouldn't threaten him with this if there was even the smallest _possibility _of him being able to escape from them.

He'd lose everything. Everything he'd worked for… His job, his home, Livna… Most likely his freedom.

"But… _why_? She's already… She must be at least four months along. People are going to _know_ either way!"

She frowned and swatted his words. "We will send you both away, of course. You can live in some simple town in the middle of nowhere after the wedding. In nine months or so, we will announce the birth of our great-grandchild."

"But, then _why_…?" This didn't make any _sense_. Why _him_?

"I will _not_ allow our family name to be soiled yet _again_!" And now she was suddenly walking toward him, her teeth bared… "We were _humiliated_ once before; it will _never _happen again. And it _especially _will not be brought along by a _nobody _such as yourself!"

And he just _stared_ at her, too terrified to move as she clutched at his shirt, claws digging into his chest. Eyes losing the calm calculation and becoming something more wild and animalistic and deadly. And her husband just looked on, expressionless…

"After that slut— We should have known that Bellawould take after that _slut_… Even after everything we did to make sure that she was brought up right…"

"I…" His voice was shaking as her nails dug deeper into his flesh. "I—But, I really can't…"

And his words were cut off, this time by a deep, authoritative voice. "Your given name is Bonifacio Nasca, correct?"

…And that seemed like a rather blatant non sequitur. "Um… yes, sir…"

"Then consider it your good fate to marry our granddaughter. I honestly would much prefer that we not drag this conversation out any longer… You will marry her, and then we will, of course, provide you with a suitable home and all of the other necessities of life. If you do not wish to do so, then we will have you arrested." He now stepped forward as well, carefully reaching forward to pry his wife's hands from the other man's chest. "I am quite sure that you will be able to decide on an intelligent course of action."

And then he began to lead her away. Began to walk toward the door without another word… And he allowed the door to slam behind them as they exited.

_Trapped._

His hands were shaking. His entire _body _was shaking.

_He couldn't… He couldn't… _

But if he didn't, then they would completely destroy him.

_Fuck, they would destroy him either way._

He didn't have a choice. He had to… He had to or else.

_But Livna…_

What would happen to her? Either way, he'd have to leave her.

And…and he suddenly wanted to laugh. Wanted to laugh even as he felt all of his strength suddenly leave him. His knees hit first, jarring painfully… And he started laughing.

Good fate. It was his 'good fate' to marry that evil, demonic siren… _Of course._ His 'good fate'.

* * *

A/N: And…yeah… So… I realised while reading through "Tomatita" again that I never actually explained why Lovi & Feli's parents were together when they hate each other. So I decided to write this to explain it… And I didn't actually do very well at that, did I? Haha. It's very very complicated and ninety percent of the people involved are either completely insane or under ridiculous amounts of stress and pressure (usually from the insane people), so… Yeah. Fun times.

And just to explain a random line in here. Lovi's mom (Bella)'s mom (who is the one who Lovi's great-grandmother is yelling about) is the one who slept with Grandpa Roma and then got pregnant with Bella… Which is why her mom is calling her a slut. Because that's good parenting right there… =.=

(If you guys can follow that without a diagram, you get all of the cookies).

A note on names, as I'm sure you gathered "Bonifacio" means something close to "good fortune" or "good fate". "Bella" means "Beautiful". (I like ironic names). "Livna" means "white" (like purity, in this case). Notice how "Livna" is close to "Lovina"? Guess who decided to do _that_ just to express how much she really _really _hates this whole situation?

How it relates to the prompt… Relatively self-explanatory. I'm too exhausted right now to explain it. xD

Okay, and…next one is **Trouble Lurking**.


	25. 025: Trouble Lurking

**025.** Trouble Lurking  
**Characters:** Gillian, Leni, Gilbird & Others  
**Genre:** Family/Friendship  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **pre-Tomatita

* * *

**Awesome and a Chick**

_Agent Q darted from shadow to shadow__ in the damp alleyway, her awesome speed masking her steps, making her practically _invisible._ Her target was near, sitting only a few yards away. Unsuspecting. _

_One of the target's ears suddenly twitched and Agent Q immediately ducked behind a really smelly dumpster with her ninja-like reflexes… Had her target sensed her presence? Would she have to abort her mission?_

_But no, the target continued to sit there. And then rubbed at its ear a few times._

_She ducked closer to the ground, reaching into her pocket for her super-powerful gun… One of the best guns ever made and only given to the greatest secret agents in the entire universe._

_Just a little closer and…_

"There you are, Gillian!"

_No__! _

Too late. The target had jumped up and darted away with a startled yowl when her mother shouted at her, a long black tail twitching around a corner the last that Gillian ever saw of her target.

Not awesome! She'd been so _close_!

"What in the world were you going to do to that poor cat?" Gillian turned, pouting as she slid her water pistol back into her jacket pocket and watched her mother walked into the alley (well, space between two tents, but close enough) with a pair of shopping bags dangling from her hands. Mutti sighed. "You need to stay close to me, liebling. There are lots of people here. You can't just run off like that."

"But the kitty wanted to eat Gilbird!" And at that, Gillian held out the basket that she'd been stealthily carrying throughout her mission. A little wicker basket that was lined with soft pillows and a blue and yellow checkered blanket, and that held a tiny ball of yellow fluff sleeping next to a teeny-tiny teddy bear. "I had to punish it!"

Mutti sighed again, switching her bags to one hand so she could reach toward her with the now-free hand. "You still need to stay with me, Gilly. I don't want to lose you."

The little girl pouted for a moment in response, glancing back in the direction that the cat had run. Mean kitty, wanting to eat Gilbird. But then she nodded and took her mother's hand, swinging her pet's basket gently at her side, since she knew that he liked to be rocked while he was sleeping.

"Now…" And Mutti led them back out into the marketplace, keeping a tight grip on her daughter's hand as they moved through the mass of people. Gillian immediately moved her basket in front of her, making sure that no one ran into poor Gilbird's bed and woke him up. "We still need to go to the farmer's market… We can do that next."

"And then can we get fudge, Mutti?" Gillian lifted her head to gaze up at her mother with her best 'I'll-be-very-_very_-good-if-we-can-get-fudge' look.

And Mutti just shook her head and laughed, reaching down to ruffle her hair. "Ja. Ja. We can get fudge later. But we have to make sure we get enough for Ludwig and Vati."

"Okay, Mutti!"

Fudge. Fudge fudge _fudge. _Gillian had long ago decided that the market was one of the most awesome places on earth. Sure, there were lots of yucky vegetables that Mutti always bought _way _too many of, but there was also _fudge_. And ladies who would give her little bags of candy-coated peanuts or kettle corn and tell Gilbird how cute he was. And she and Mutti would eat hot dogs for lunch and cotton candy for dessert and there were all sorts of things to look at and play with. And Mutti had bought her a hat this year, one that was black with a brim that kept the sun out of her eyes and with brightly-coloured buttons on top that made a smiley-face.

And the best part of all? There was even a man here who sold _swords_. _And_ he'd let her hold one once!

It was so much fun! Especially since she got to spend the entire day with Mutti, while Ludwig spent the entire day with Vati. She wasn't sure what they did; she just knew that it couldn't be nearly as fun as her awesome day with Mutti.

Right now was the most not-fun part of the day, though. As they were now going into the tent that held all of the vegetables. And she'd have to stand there and wait while Mutti looked at all of the icky vegetables and talked with the ladies who sold them.

And it was so hard to wait, since vegetables were _boring_ and she wanted to do awesome, fun things! Even _Gilbird _was being boring right now, since he was still sleeping.

But she followed her mother into the tent anyway and waited in front of one of the tables like a very good girl while Mutti talked with a lady selling carrots. Because if she was good, then she'd get fudge. Maybe she could get a whole bunch of different kinds of fudge. Like chocolate fudge and chocolate marshmallow fudge and chocolate peanut butter fudge and chocolate mint fudge.

…And now she really _really_ wished Mutti would hurry up.

Except, wait…

Gill had been looking around since they'd entered the tent, frowning to herself as she searched for something amusing. Just vegetables. Lots and lots of icky vegetables… Or so she'd thought, until she noticed something else. A woman was sitting at a table a little ways away that was covered with _apples_. Big red apples, funny yellow ones, little green ones. All kinds of apples.

And, while apples were definitely not as awesome as fudge, they were definitely a bazillion times more awesome than icky vegetables.

…It would be okay if she just went a _little_ bit away from her mutti, right? The apple-lady wasn't _too_ far away. She'd be back before Mutti even noticed that she'd gone.

And that was really all of the justification that someone like Gill needed. She immediately walked off, cradling Gilbird's basket against her chest so he wouldn't be jostled awake by the silly big people who sometimes ran into her.

The apple lady was already talking to some other woman who was wearing a big, funny hat with a shiny blue ribbon that hung down over her ear. So Gill just stood on her tiptoes and reached across the table for an apple.

Then she turned, ready to go back to Mutti. See, she was being very _very_ good!

Except she was then _completely_ distracted, as she turned and noticed a boy, standing a few tables away, who was staring at her with big, green-coloured eyes.

He looked like he was about her age. His head tilted to the side slightly, as if he were somewhat puzzled. And he had dark hair and darkish skin—lots darker than hers—and he was wearing a red shirt with yellow and blue on it. And he was currently just standing there and watching her, while eating a tomato.

…He was standing there and eating a _tomato_ like it was the most normal thing in the world to do. He wasn't even eating it in a salad or on a pizza…

She tilted her head back at him—because he was still staring at her—and then took a bite of her apple. Watching as he beamed back at her.

He had a very _very_ happy smile.

Which was strange. She wasn't used to other people smiling at her like that, especially other kids… A lot of them would just stare at her or act like she was scary or weird or creepy. Or they'd ask what was wrong with her eyes…

He was just _smiling _at her.

…She was only half-aware of her own steps, as she began to walk toward him, watching as his smile grew even bigger and bigger as she came closer. Until she was finally standing right in front of him and his smile was so big that she wondered if it hurt his mouth to smile that big...

"Hola!" She blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar word. "My name is Antonio! Do you like tomates? Mamá and I are selling lots of yummy tomates!"

…And he talked funny. Gill wasn't entirely sure if she'd understood everything that he'd said… His name was Antonio and then he'd said something about his mom selling tomatoes?

Well, that would explain why he was eating a tomato.

"Ooh! You have a birdy!" And she'd stopped paying attention for a moment, so his next words surprised her a little bit. "Que _lindo_~!"

…He _really _talked funny. But she knew that he'd said something about Gilbird, so it probably meant that he was awesome and adorable.

And now she glanced down toward her basket, _delighted_ when she realised that Gilbird had _finally_ woken up! He was now standing in his little bed, staring up at the boy, fluttering his little tiny wings a few times like he wanted to fly away. But he wouldn't fly away, because he was a very very good little chick.

"This is Gilbird!" Because Gilbird had the most awesome name ever, no matter what Luddy said. "He's awesome, almost as awesome as me! Mutti and I made him his bed!"

Which had been lots of fun. They'd made it all soft and cozy and they'd even put a hot water bottle at the bottom so it'd be nice and warm.

And Antonio just kept smiling. "So _cute_~! Can I pet him?"

"He only likes it when awesome people pet him…" She sent the boy a pointed look. "Are _you _awesome?"

She was a little surprised when he actually stopped to _think _about that question, since most of the other kids that she knew would immediately say that they were 'totally awesome' and 'way awesomer than _her_' when she asked them that.

"No sé… I don't think I know how to tell…"

Definitely different than the other kids. Gill was starting to think that she liked this boy, even if he did talk funny and eat yucky vegetables—Ludwig said tomatoes were fruits, but fruits were yummy and vegetables were icky and tomatoes were icky, so they had to be vegetables. "Well, Gilbird can tell! He's the expert on awesomeness!"

"Okay!" He was still smiling, looking very excited. As he should be, since he was about to pet the awesome Gilbird. "Do I just pet him?"

"Ja." She hoisted the basket a little higher so it was at chest level. "You just have to be very _very _nice or he won't think you're awesome enough to pet him."

"Okay." Antonio reached forward, angling his hand so that it rested palm up in front of Gilbird... Who peeped a few times in response and stared at the new addition to his basket. And then hopped right into his hand.

Well, that was that. If Gilbird thought he was awesome, then Gill did too!

"Aww~ He's so cute!"

"And awesome!" She grinned. "My name's Gill! I think that we should be new awesome best friends!"

And his smile grew even _bigger_ at that. "Really?"

"Yep, because if Gilbird thinks you're awesome, then that means that you're definitely awesome. And only awesome people can be my best friends!" Well, besides Luddy, but he was her brother… And Roddy, but she was still hoping that her awesomeness would rub off on him if they played together long enough…

"We should go see Mamá, then!" He exclaimed, allowing Gilbird to hop off his hand before he removed it from the basket. "She'll be so happy to find out that I made a new best friend!"

"A new _awesome _best friend!"

"Sí!"

And they immediately ran off at that, Gill managing to completely forget about her mother, still standing a few tables away, in the process. As usual.

* * *

A/N: And that is how little Gill and little Antonio met. Poor Leni when she notices that her daughter disappeared… Although she's probably pretty used to it.

So I completely based the market off of a real place. The Windmill, which is up sort of near where I live. We usually go there at least once during the summer (except this last summer, sadly) ever since I was the kid. Totally awesome place. Pretty much everything that Gill mentioned is there, including the guy who sells swords who is awesome and actually knows my friend and I since we always make sure to go see him every time we go. And he let us hold a rapier and showed us a little bit of how you use it. So awesome.

Also, this story is now officially a QUARTER of the way done. WOOT! So much craziness right there.

Explanation of the prompt? Gillian is trouble and Gillian is lurking. ;D At least at the beginning. With the poor cat. Since little!Gill and kitties didn't get along particularly well.

Next one is **Tears**.


	26. 026: Tears

**026.** Tears  
**Characters:** Antonio & Gabi  
**Genre:** Family  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time****Period:**Antonio = age 2

* * *

**Little One**

She couldn't do this.

She'd been so stupid. It had been _stupid_ of her to even imagine that she could do this… She was only eighteen; a stupid eighteen-year-old girl who'd once thought that she was in blissful, happily-ever-after, fairytale love. What did she know about taking care of _herself_? Let alone a sweet little baby who deserved a real family. A better family.

Gabi wasn't sure how long she'd been lying here. Spread out across her bed, staring up at the ceiling and following the maze of pipes with her eyes. Trying to ignore the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

_Too long. _

She should go _do _something. Try to help. Although she'd already screwed everything up enough for today. She'd _ruined _Isabel's birthday. Almost set the house on fire…

And after everything that they'd done for her… Her big brother and his wife. She knew that people talked about her, after all. People talked about how she was the stupid little sister who'd managed to get herself knocked up by a guy who'd immediately dumped her when he found out. She'd dropped out of school. Couldn't even speak English yet.

She apparently couldn't even make a _birthday __cake_ right.

She rolled onto her side, tugging her quilt up to her chin. She'd just wanted to thank Isabel for everything that she'd done for them. For taking them in and doing so much work to convert her basement into a little apartment. And for taking care of Antonio when Gabi was tired and needed a break.

She'd put the cake in the oven and was waiting in the living room for it to finish, struggling through her little English grammar book in the meantime. And then she'd heard Antonio start crying in the other room.

Sí, so not only had she screwed up the cake today, but she'd also left her baby alone and he'd gotten hurt... Apparently he'd crawled under the coffee table in order to get a little car that had rolled underneath it. And then tried to sit up and clunked his head right on the bottom of the table.

She'd run in, picked him up, cooed and rocked her arms to comfort him... Completely forgotten about the cake in the oven as she'd focused on calming him.

Until the smoke detector went off.

Gabi groaned as she rolled over onto her stomach, pressing her face against her pillow with the vague hope that it would suffocate her. She'd panicked, just to make everything worse. Ferdinand had woken up from his nap and rushed down...

She was so stupid. A stupid little kid who made life worse for everyone around her. Including her sweet little baby who was so adorable and darling and blindingly loving.

It would have been better to put him up for adoption... If she were just less selfish...

"Mamá!"

And Gabi immediately lifted her head at that voice. "Antonio?"

There was a soft thump in response. And then another and another...

And she turned her head just in time to see Antonio scoot down onto the last step of the stairway, his little face screwed up in concentration as he thumped onto the floor.

Then he lifted his head and immediately graced her with a toothy, absolutely adoring smile. The most beautiful smile in the world in her opinion. And he stood, toddling over to the side of her bed and reaching toward her. "Mamá!"

Gabi hurriedly wiped at her cheeks, forcing a smile onto her lips as she reached down and then lifted him into her lap.

Selfish. She was so selfish. She knew that he'd be better off with a real family. A father and siblings... But she refused to give him up. Just because she couldn't imagine living without her baby. Some days she'd lie in bed, feeling pitiful, disgusting, pathetic... She couldn't do this. There was no point in forcing herself out of bed...

The only thing that was strong enough to pull her out of bed was the thought that he _needed_ her. She couldn't let her little baby down.

And now he was snuggling against her, his head resting against her chest as he stuck his thumb into his mouth and began to suck. Eyes almost immediately beginning to droop.

"Time for your nap, sí?" She smiled and began running her fingers through his dark curls. Slightly damp—Isabel must have already given him his bath.

She couldn't imagine giving him up, even if it would be better for him. He was so beautiful. So sweet and curious and loving.

Antonio always wanted her attention. She couldn't sit down for more than a few seconds at a time without a little body joining her. Wanting her to read to him or sing to him or just hold him and play with his hair. Ferdinand liked to tease her about it. Called Antonio her little shadow.

She couldn't imagine how anything this perfect could have come from that bastard.

And now she slowly shifted her position so she was lying down as well, trying to be careful to not jostle him. Of course she wasn't entirely successful, as he opened his eyes for a moment and looked up at her. But then he closed them again and reached out with his free hand, pudgy little fingers clenching around the fabric of her shirt.

She smiled and continued to stroke his hair. A nap sounded rather wonderful right now. Just a short little nap and then she'd go back upstairs and try to make things up to Isabel and her brother.

Just a twenty-minute nap or so...

* * *

A/N: Just a short one for today. So I love Gabi. She's such a sweetheart. And baby Antonio is pretty much the cutest thing in the world. And yeah, I know this series has been rather Antonio heavy recently. I just keep getting ideas involving little!Antonio and Gabi. Because they're adorable and because Gabi's sad and needs lots and lots of love.

How it relates to the prompt is self-explanatory. And the next one is **Foreign**.


	27. 027: Foreign

**027.** Foreign  
**Characters:** Leon & Francis  
**Genre:** Humour  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time ****Period: **a few months after JaLP

* * *

**Invasion of the Frog**

Leon really hated it when grocery stores only offered plastic bags.

It wasn't that he was a super-environmentalist or anything... Not that he _wasn__'__t_an environmentalist, but...you know... He just really didn't like it because plastic bags had the most obnoxious habit of twisting around and around while you carried them, tightening around your hand until you felt like it was about to fall off. And the bags kept bumping against his legs, as if they were purposely trying to throw him down the stairs.

And he was going to have to put them all down in a minute so he could get his key out... And things liked to fall out of plastic bags when you set them down...

"Oh, Leon~"

...And shit.

You know, Leon generally tried to get along with his neighbours. He was probably going to be living in this apartment for a while, so it'd be best to be on good terms with the other people who shared his building. He'd engage in random conversations by their mailboxes, ask questions about their families, listen to their rantings about their no good children. For the most part he was okay with it; he'd even made a few tentative friendships with various people. But there was one woman who absolutely drove Leon crazy.

And she was currently hobbling toward him with an overly excited expression on her face. Which meant he was probably going to be here for a while.

"Hello, Mrs. Dahlen..."

She was one of those obnoxiously nosy types—_worse_than an obnoxiously nosy type, actually—since she was also the type of woman who enjoyed spreading stories throughout the rest of the building. Most of the residents knew better than to believe a word she said, but Leon had overheard some conversations that let him know that not _everyone _was ignoring her rather obvious lies...

"I'm so glad I caught you, honey!" She also happened to be wearing a rather distracting hat right now. A big green one that was covered with ribbons and flowers and there was even a little tiny fake robin... Okay, where in the world did old ladies even _find _hats like that?

"It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Dahlen. I was just going to..."

She interrupted him, as she usually did. "I was talking to Catherine Howell today. You remember Catherine Howell, right? I'm sure you've heard people talking about how she had that abortion last month. Not that anyone's _sure, _you know... But anyway, I was talking to her this morning and I mentioned how I never see you around anymore. And how it's _such_ a pity, since you're such a nice young man..."

He was losing feeling in his right hand, courtesy of a couple dozen eggs. "Yes, well..." Think fast, so he could get out of here as quickly as possible. "I've been working the graveyard shift recently, so that's probably why. I just kind of come back and crash..."

"Of course, of course!" And the _lovely _Mrs. Dahlen was currently standing _just_ close enough to the door that there was no possible way he could get inside without making it obvious that he was trying to escape. "You're quite lucky, though," she now continued, resting a hand on her cheek as she stared at him with a rather disturbing expression. "Having such a sweet boyfriend, I mean. You _never _would catch my Jeffy making me dinner like that. Goodness, judging by the smell I'd guess that he's quite a fantastic chef."

_...What?_

Wait, _what_?

"B—boyfriend?" Oh shit. Shit shit _shit_. "Ah," his brain had sort of short-circuited at that, "there must be a mistake. I _definitely _don't have a boyfriend." And she'd better not be talking about who he thought she was talking about... Although he already knew that she _had _to be talking about who he thought she was talking about.

Damn it, he was going to kill him.

And the woman now tilted her head, flashing him a too-confused-to-actually-be-confused frown. "Ah, really? But I see him around so often..." And now her expression changed, her eyes widening in a look of realisation. Seriously, he was going to _kill _that idiot. "Ah, are you worried that I—? Oh, don't worry, honey. One of my sons was a gay. Of course it was rather surprising at first, but then..."

Okay, conversation over. "No, no. He's just not my boyfriend. Just friends. Not boyfriends. Definitely not. And I really should put these groceries away before they get warm." And he _may _have pushed her aside slightly as he pulled the door open, slid through, and then closed it behind him as quickly as humanly possible.

And then he turned, groaning as he fell back against the door. Shit.

"Ah, there you are, cher! I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming home! Did you get more eggs? I wanted to make omelettes, but there were only three eggs left in the refrigerator and I decided to use two of them for the madeleines..."

Leon really needed to change his locks. Although he knew that it wouldn't do any good as long as his grandmother was alive and best friends with a certain little albino menace.

He sighed and rose from his place against the door. Although he'd much rather just stay there... And completely ignore the other menace currently occupying his kitchen. Making the entire apartment smell fantastic. "_Francis..._"

And a blond head peeked out from behind the doorframe, flashing him an amused grin before disappearing again. "Just bring the eggs in here, cher! You have wonderful timing. I just finished decorating the madeleines~"

"Francis, why are you in my house?" Again.

And invading my kitchen. Again.

The fact that he was starting to get used to this was rather worrying.

The teenager appeared again at that. This time leaving his little kitchen sanctuary and joining him, smirking as he slipped the two bags out of Leon's right hand. Which instantly stung, just to make sure he understood how much pain he'd just inflicted on it. "Making dinner, _cher_. What else would I be doing?"

"Gossiping with my neighbours. Tearing my apartment apart. Setting up mistletoe. Stealing my shampoo..."

The fact that he was starting to get used to this was _really _worrying him.

And he was also used to the smirk that Francis sent him before he turned and walked back into the kitchen. "Firstly, cher, I wasn't _gossiping _with your neighbour. She came over to ask for sugar and we chatted for a little bit. I get bored waiting for you after all and she was _very _nice... She even asked me for some recipes. Secondly, I've never done anything to your apartment. That's always Gill and she's out on a date with Mattie, so you don't need to worry about that. Thirdly, it's still a month too early for mistletoe. I don't put any up until _after_Thanksgiving. And fourthly, you should be _thanking _me for ridding your apartment of that disgusting _slop_ that you seemed determined to destroy your hair with."

Leon really didn't understand what Francis had against his choice in shampoo. Yeah, it was pretty cheap, but it _worked_ and that was all that really mattered. Leon couldn't even read the _labels_ on the stuff that Francis kept leaving in his shower. And it made him smell like a girl, which was even more annoying.

"Gill's out on a date with Mattie?"

"Oui." Francis had apparently already invaded Leon's fridge for omelette ingredients. As he was now breaking a few eggs into a frying pan, humming to himself as he did so. "Antonio's away for the weekend with his family and Lovina. Arthur is with his amour~"

Which basically meant that Francis was bored and had decided to alleviate his boredom by bothering Leon for a while.

It was one of the things that Leon had noticed recently... Now that all of Francis's closest friends were in relationships, the random 'let's invade Leon's house without his permission' visitations had become more frequent. Which was good in a way, he supposed, since at least if Francis was _here _it meant that he wasn't out with who-knows-who doing Leon-didn't-want-to-think-about-what...

But it also meant that Francis was invading his house constantly. Just feeding the neighbourhood gossipmongers.

...

And sometimes Leon wished he had the ability to be more of a jerk about these sorts of things. Then he wouldn't have to deal with so many nosy neighbours thinking he was gay and in a relationship with a very _very _promiscuous teenager.

"So..." And instead of kicking him out, like he probably _should _do, he wandered over to the counter and glanced at the cooling racks that were now covered with little shell-shaped things. Setting the rest of the grocery bags on the floor in the process. "These are madeleines?"

"Oui. They're one of my specialties."

Leon rolled his eyes. "That's what you say about everything that you make." Although he had to admit that Francis's food _was_absolutely incredible and pretty much everything that he made _was_a specialty...

He leaned against the counter then, swiping one of the cookies and popping it into his mouth. And, of course, it was perfect. Soft and sweet with a little tang of lemon. Just enough to be noticeable, but not so much that it was overpowering.

And it was obvious that Francis could tell that he enjoyed it, as his smirk only widened as he kept humming to himself and continued with his omelette-making.

Which was why Leon bent down, grabbed the other grocery bags, and dropped them right next to him before he turned back toward the living room. "Fine, if you're going to invade my kitchen then you can put the groceries away. And you owe me about twenty bucks now for all that shampoo that you've stolen."

"Oui. Oui." Francis just laughed in response. Of course. As if he'd quit it for twenty bucks. "Although it's really your own fault. If you'd just give in..."

He'd already given in, pretty much... Given in on _way _too many things.

* * *

A/N: Hiya! I'm still alive! Ish... Done with finals week, which was hell. Very much hell. Also the reason why I haven't written in a while. Plus I've been sick. Again. =.= Always sick. But at least the semester is over and next one I shall be in Buffalo! Which I'm uber excited for. (And just as a random note, if anyone happens to live in Buffalo, NY and wants to meet up... that would be totally A-OK in my book as long as we talk before hand and we do it safely. ;D I've done it lots of times and it's quite fun.)

So yeah, this was an after-JaLP thing, but it doesn't give too much away so I figured I'd write it now. And I needed something amusing to cheer myself up since I hate being sick. Bleh. xP

It's almost Christmas! Yay! I want to do a Christmas fic, but I can't really think of anything. If anyone has any ideas, that'd be awesome! I can't promise I'll do them, but I'll try to do at least one story for Christmas.

Hmm, yeah... Francis and Leon's relationship amuses me. Oh, and if anyone wonders about what happened to the three feet rule? That actually isn't a normal rule with them. That's just an 'if Fran does something _really_stupid to piss Leon off' rule. ;D How it relates to prompt? Franny is foreign nationality-wise and he's foreign since he's an intruder. Yay for Franny!

Next one is **Sorrow**. Which will obviously not be a happy one. \o.O/


	28. 028: Sorrow

**028.** Sorrow  
**Characters:** Leon  
**Genre:** Family/Tragedy  
**Rating:** K  
**Time****Period:**Leon = 6

* * *

**Gone**

"Wee-ooh! Wee-ooh! Wee-ooh!"

Police Officer Leon Scott Kennedy was racing through the busy streets of the thriving metropolis, chasing the evil bank robbers toward their secret hide out. He drove through the deep, dark tunnel out onto the slippery icy road, sliding back and forth like a maniac. But he finally gained control, just in time to avoid hitting a _gigantic_ tree. And there was the evil bank robbers' secret lair. But suddenly…

"Mrow!"

The bank robbers had a super gigantic guard kitty! What would Police Officer Leon Scott Kennedy do now?

"Leon, what are you doing to that poor cat?"

Police Officer Leon Scott Kennedy immediately glanced up at the voice. To see the police chief standing in the doorway, holding a plate of…

"Cookies!"

And the chase was abandoned, because even police officers needed to refuel sometimes. And everyone knew that the police chief Mama's cookies were the best cookies in the entire universe! Chris and Claire both agreed too!

"Yes, cookies." And Mama laughed, setting the plate on the table. "Only one, though, otherwise you'll spoil your dinner."

Leon nodded, dropping down into his seat at the table before grabbing one of the cookies. Which were still all warm and gooey… And he watched as their cat, Daisy, began to lick at her stomach, and then wandered over and jumped up onto the seat next to him. He stared at her for a moment before turning to Mama and declaring, "Daisy wants a cookie too."

"Don't give her one. Cookies aren't good for kitties."

He nodded in agreement and then glanced over at the cat who was staring at the cookie in his hand. "No, Daisy! Bad kitty!"

She just yawned in response and then decided to curl up and go to sleep, her fluffy tail wrapping around her body like a nice warm blanket.

Sometimes Leon wondered what it would be like to have a fluffy tail. He bet it would be fun to have a fluffy tail.

And his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Which meant Daddy was home!

Leon immediately jumped up and ran to the door, excitedly bouncing up and down as he waited for it to open. And was surprised when it didn't, since Daddy always opened the door himself after he rang the doorbell. Then he'd reach down and pick Leon up and give him a hug and start telling him all about the great adventures he'd had catching bad guys.

Hmm, maybe Daddy had decided to go out and get groceries and his hands were full and he couldn't open the door. That made sense.

Leon nodded to himself at the thought. So he'd just open the door for Daddy so he could come inside!

Except when he opened the door he wasn't greeted by a big hug from his daddy. Instead, he looked up to see two big men standing in the doorway wearing police hats.

He just stood there for a moment, confused, and then he realised... Of course! These must be Daddy's friends. "Hi!" he greeted them. Being polite just like Mama told him to be when people came to visit.

They didn't smile; actually, they looked kind of sad. Leon wondered why they'd be sad.

But the bigger one who had a big black moustache _tried_ to smile. "Hello. Are you Leon?"

"Mhm. Are you Daddy's friends?" He rocked back onto his heels a few times as he watched the men. The smaller man without a moustache looked even sadder now for some reason.

"Well...y—yes. Is your mother home? We need to talk to her about something very important."

"Is Daddy in trouble?" Leon knew that when adults said they had to talk about 'something very important', it usually meant that somebody was in trouble.

"N—no..." The man with the big, black moustache hesitated, which probably meant he wasn't telling the truth. Which was bad, Leon knew. You were supposed to always tell the truth.

But he didn't have to tell the man that because Mama suddenly came up from behind and rested her hand on Leon's cheek, pulling him back against her skirt. So he immediately hugged her legs, watching the men as they took their hats off and rested them against their chests. Funny.

"Hello..." Mama was running her fingers through his hair, tugging a little too hard at some places where it'd gotten tangled. "Is something wrong?"

"If it would be all right, we'd like to talk with you inside. You're Mrs. Scott Kennedy, correct?"

"Did something happen to Scott?" Leon lifted his head at his daddy's name, staring at Mama, who had started shaking. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"You should probably sit down Mrs. Kennedy. And your son..."

"Our neighbours..." Mama took a step backwards, letting the men come inside. "Oh, God. Something happened to Scott. Where is he? What happened?"

"My partner could call your neighbours if you wish."

Mama's hand moved back down to his cheek and rubbed circles against his skin, and then she responded, "Yes... They're speed dial three. The Redfields. Leon is good friends with their son."

Mhm. Chris was Leon's _best _friend! He'd had even made him a green and brown best friend bracelet in kindergarten that Chris always wore and had never _ever_ taken off since he'd gotten it. That was how _best_ best friends they were!

The man without the moustache nodded and walked past Mama, over to the kitchen and the counter where the phone was, almost tripping over poor Daisy in the process. Who meowed in complaint and then ran away, probably up to her favourite spot on Mama and Daddy's bed.

Mama followed him and sat down at the kitchen table, not responding when Leon walked past her into the living room. Where Ned was sitting on the couch.

Ned was his most special toy. A plush lobster that his father had given him forever ago. Ned was his best friend after Chris.

He squeezed the lobster against his chest and then turned so he could hurry back to Mama, because he was starting to get worried. Was something wrong with Daddy?

And he was shocked when he walked into the room and found Mama sitting at the table. Crying.

_Why was Mama crying? _The moustache police man was standing behind her, his hand resting against her shoulder. And he looked like he was crying too.

"Mama?" She didn't look up when he spoke. Not even when he walked over and put his hands on her knees, resting Ned on her lap. And Ned always cheered him up when he was crying. "Mama? Mama, what's wrong? _Mommy_?"

Why was Mama crying? Where was Daddy?

Leon drew back, hugging Ned as tightly as possible. As he felt tears begin to prickle his own eyes. He didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't like it when Mama cried. Especially when Daddy wasn't here.

* * *

A/N: Baby... :( Poor tiny Leon. I hate writing this sort of thing. I don't want Leon's daddy to die. Leon's daddy was awesome.

...Um, yeah. At least it wasn't Francis this time? And I didn't write this from Leon's mom's POV. Because her POV is absolutely heartbreaking to the point I can't actually write it well enough yet...

By the way, just because I feel the need to share, Daisy is a brown and white Himalayan Persian mix. Just to let you know.

The next one is **Happiness**. So yay! We need happy after this one.


	29. 029: Happiness

**029. **Happiness  
**Characters:** Leni, Luca, & Fritz  
**Genre:** Comedy/Romance/Family  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period:** sophomore year of high school

* * *

**Ludwig's Troubles with the Ladies are Totally Caused by Genetics**

Luca Beilschmidt was convinced that whoever had decided to make home economics a mandatory course—effective _just_ this past year—was a secret sadist and most likely someone who had a personal grudge against him.

He felt that it was a reasonable theory and that it was only strengthened when you took three specific pieces of evidence into consideration.

Number one: Out of the three home economics teachers that he _could _have been assigned to—two of whom he knew for a fact were very sweet, kind women who graded almost entirely on participation and effort—he had been placed in the classroom of the one who often sent students home in tears and actually graded on skill. Something which he did not possess much of…

Number two: What were they going to be working on for the first few weeks of class? Cooking.

…Of course. He didn't even want to _think _about what that meant right now.

And number three: Whatever power-at-be that had decided to punish him in this manner had decided to make everything even worse by making sure that _she _was also in his class.

_Leni Koenig._

Someone up there _hated _him.

"We'll be beginning now, _class_…" And Luca jumped slightly at the sudden bark coming from the front of the classroom. From their teacher who was glaring at them like they were all ants that she'd enjoy squishing underfoot. "Get with your partners and then I'll tell you what station you're going to be working at for today…"

Probably the only good thing about this class was the fact that they hadn't been _assigned_ partners and that his friend, Peter Katte, had also been consigned to this hell. And Peter actually knew how to cook passably well.

Unlike himself. Since he managed to burn everything that he touched when he was standing inside a kitchen.

"Station number three…" The teacher always took these incredibly long pauses between phrases. "Leni Koenig and Frederick Koenig."

_Leni Koenig. _

Seriously, why did she have to be in _this _class? If she had to be in one of his classes, then why couldn't it have been math or science or something like that? A class that didn't involve blenders and ovens and griddles and open flames and sharp knives and plates that would be so easy to smash to pieces against the floor?

"Station number four… Luca Beilschmidt and Peter Katte."

And that was the last piece of evidence that he'd ever need to prove that someone _somewhere_ had a personal vendetta against him.

"Looks like we're going to be working with _Leni_~." And it didn't help _anything_ when Peter whispered that _right _into his ear in a sing-song voice. "You going to actually ask her out this time or you going to pussy out like usual?"

Luca sent him his most withering glare in response. Since that remark definitely didn't warrant an actual response.

"Aw, come on…" Luca proceeded to ignore his friend by grabbing his home economics folder from where it had been resting on top of his other textbooks and walking off toward the door leading to the other classroom that held the kitchens. "It's not like she's dating somebody else right now. I heard that she turned down both the football team's captain and the wrestling team's captain last week."

"And that's supposed to make me feel more confident?"

"Sure." Luca could see her already standing at her station, leaning against the counter with her back facing them. Her brother, Fritz, was standing on the other side, completely engrossed in the ancient-looking book that he was holding.

"I mean," And he'd almost forgotten about Peter's presence. "It shows that the brawny musclemen aren't her type. And you're nowhere close to a brawny muscleman, so maybe you've got a chance!"

…If they hadn't been in the middle of class…

But they _were_ in class right now, so he was able to ignore his so-called-friend and proceeded toward their kitchen station. He sent a quick, polite nod toward Fritz and Leni—thank God she hadn't noticed them yet—and then picked up the sheet of paper resting on the counter that would give them their recipe.

"Why don't you let me do this one, bro?" And it was pulled out of his hands before he could even consider a response. "You've got more important things to be worrying about and I _do _need to pass this course. Although I will admit that it was pretty funny to see Ms. Quincey about to _blow_ after you managed to set off the fire alarm…"

…Luca would infinitely prefer to forget about that day.

Particularly with Leni Koenig only standing a few feet away, just on the other side of the counter that separated the two kitchen stations.

She and her brother had already started working on their recipe—something that apparently involved quite a lot of chocolate—and were doing so in almost-complete silence. Which was a little strange, he thought. Since he knew that Leni tended to be the sort of person that enjoyed talking while she worked.

And her brother looked a little annoyed. Strange.

Luca really knew quite a bit about Leni. But, of course, so did _everyone _else in this school. She was popular with both her peers and the teachers, after all. She was at the top of most of her classes _and_ a member of the cheer squad. Fritz was her only sibling—her older brother.

And there were all of those little rumours floating about… There was one stating that she'd been asked out by _dozens _of guys in her life and yet she _always _turned them down. The most recent victims had included the captain of the football team _and _the captain of the wrestling team. Both very attractive and well-liked guys.

_Much more attractive and well-liked than him._

There were the little things too. He knew that she liked roses, especially yellow ones. And she liked to wear little butterfly-shaped hairpins in her hair. She was the type of person who always stuck up for people if they were being bullied.

And she was incredibly beautiful. One of those rare people who managed to be just as beautiful on the inside as they were on the outside.

All of that taken into account, it really wasn't surprising that he'd ended up falling for her. And it also wasn't surprising that he'd never actually been able to work up the nerve to do anything about it. She was beautiful, popular… Most of the guys in this school would love to date her.

"Here," and he was suddenly brought back to earth by the feel of a bowl being shoved into his hands. "If you're just gonna stand around, then at least start mixing this up. And don't stop until I tell you."

Well, at least that was one thing that he could do.

Luca began to mix the ingredients together while simultaneously, surreptitiously watching the siblings, who seemed to be silently fighting or something. He could practically _feel _the tension radiating from the two… Which was really really strange…

"Dude, careful or you're going to spill everywhere…"

And Luca almost jumped at the sudden remark coming from his friend, who'd managed to grab the spoon right out of his hand and was now smirking down at him. Laughingly remarking, "Bro, you have got it _bad_. Just _ask_ her already or I'll do it for you."

"Ask who what?"

And, for a moment, Luca feared that his heart had actually leapt right out of his chest. He half expected to look down and see it lying right there on the overly-polished floor, still beating of course. Just because that would be absolutely disgusting.

Because Leni was standing _right there_. Leaning over the counter separating them. Right _there_.

Right _there_.

"Hey, Leni." And Peter just _talked _to her, like it was perfectly normal. Like she wasn't the most beautiful being to ever walk the face of the earth. "What's up?"

"I actually wanted to ask you something, Peter." She smiled as she tilted her head to the side, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder in the process. "Would you mind switching partners? Fritz is being a dick."

_Wha—what?_

Luca must have blacked out in the next few seconds because he completely missed Peter's response. He was too busy having a minor mental breakdown.

Okay, this had to be a dream.

This had to be a very very very very _very_ messed up dream. In a few seconds Luca knew that he would suddenly jolt awake to the sound of his mother smashing a plate to pieces against the kitchen floor while attempting to make breakfast—his mother was a bit of a klutz who really should just give up and buy plastic plates…

After all, this was the _perfect_ setting for this sort of dream—or more likely nightmare. Because only _he_ would ever be able to imagine the girl of his dreams in home economics. Also known as _hell_…

…And—and why wasn't he waking up?

"…_Yoohoo_, anybody home?"

And that was the moment Luca finally jerked back to reality. To find Leni standing right in front of him, leaning in close enough that he could smell her perfume. Something orangey? Peter was gone, over with Fritz who was _glaring _in Luca's general direction. Which was _terrifying…_

And Leni was still _standing_ there? _Staring_ at him with a mischievous, absolutely _bewitching_ smirk?

"Uh…uh…hello, Leni…" And that was _not_ how his voice usually sounded. He usually didn't sound like a dying rodent when he spoke. "How are…?"

"So I think you're cute and that we should go to homecoming together."

…_Eh?_

Maybe he'd died. Maybe he'd finally blown up the entire kitchen and managed to kill himself in the process. And this was his version of heaven—or hell—he wasn't sure which yet… Or he was just hallucinating. Because if there was one thing that Luca Beilschmidt knew without a doubt, it was that there was no way that Leni Koenig would ever ask him out. For one thing, she was _light-years _out of his league and for another thing…

"So what do you say? You can come pick me up at six. We could go have dinner before or something like that."

…_Eh?_

"Uh…I…" He couldn't speak. And finally he just decided to move his head up and down in a sort of nod-like thing. Still not positive that he was currently breathing.

"Awesome! So we should finish this cake then!"

…_Wha—what had just happened? _

And Luca was pretty sure that something life-changing had just happened. Something incredibly _incredibly _life-changing.

* * *

A/N: Somebody said once upon a time that they want more Luca. So here you go. Luca in all of his adorable awkwardness. xD I wasn't planning on doing another chapter of Compiling so quickly, but I found this almost finished in one of my journals and figured I might as well finish it up.

On a random note… I was in a geeky mood, so I did some playing around with names in here. Koenig—Leni & Fritz's last name—means "king" in German. And Luca's friend Peter is named after (slash based on, although I didn't get much into that) on two of Frederick II's childhood friends.

The Pleasantville!verse… Full of lots and lots and lots of historical references that no one but me would ever get unless I pointed them out. xD

How it relates to the topic? Much happiness will be caused by this random invitation to go to Homecoming. ;D Haha.

Next one is **Under the Rain**. (Kind of an odd one…)

Oh, and just to ask you guys. Do you have any requests for this? Like certain characters, certain events you want to see more in depth? I need more ideas. Haha. ;D I reuploaded the list of prompts to my deviantart if you want to go look at what's in store in the future.


	30. 030: Under the Rain

**030. **Under the Rain  
**Characters:** Ludwig, Leni, & Feli  
**Genre:** Friendship  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period:** pre-JaLP

* * *

**Raindrops Falling on My Head**

Gill liked to tease him about Feli.

She _really _liked to tease him about Feli. "So when are you gonna _finally_ start popping out babies?" she'd asked one time when they'd been waiting in line for the Ferris wheel at the amusement park. It'd been an absolutely traumatizing moment in his life. So traumatizing that he couldn't even remember going on the Ferris wheel afterwards…

He'd thanked God at the time—still thanked God—that Feli had a rather intense fear of heights. And had therefore been sitting with their mutti near the exit, chattering away while licking at an ice cream cone.

She always teased him, acting like he and Feli were _involved _or something when they most definitely weren't.

Not…well, not yet at least.

It wasn't that he was entirely against the idea, you see. He…well… Feli was…

It was hard to really specify his feelings for Feli, even in his own head. She was…cute. Cute was a good word to describe Feli. She was cute like the kittens that she always tried to drag home, but Lovi never let her keep. And she was a very hard-worker. She may not do very well at schoolwork, but it definitely wasn't for lack of trying…

And…well…

Well…he didn't _not _enjoy spending time with her. Even if she could be sometimes rather annoying.

"Ludwig!"

Ludwig jerked his head up from the math problems that he _should _have been puzzling over for the past half hour or so. Not even _one _had been completed; his mind had been filled with images of Feliciana…

"Ludwig!"

"Ja, mutti?" He closed his textbook, feeling his cheeks warm for some reason. It must just be because he'd zoned off for so long. It was embarrassing…

And listened as the sound of footsteps came up the stairs and toward his room. Then two sharp knocks on the door before it creaked open and his mother poked her head in.

She was smiling, looking extremely pleased for some reason. "Morning, liebling. Feliciana's here. She wanted to know if you wanted to go on a picnic with her and I told her that you'd absolutely love to, so you'd better get ready."

And Ludwig just stared at her in shock. Was? "A picnic? But, Mutti… I have homework to finish still."

"Forget it for now." She opened the door wider and then took a step inside, glancing around the room. At his neatly made bed, his desk organised with everything at right angles, everything neatly in its place. Unlike Gill's room, which always looked like a tornado had just hit it. "Gill's out with that little blonde cutie. You should get out too."

"But, Mutti."

"No, buts…" And she immediately walked over to the desk, picking up his math textbook with one hand and snatching the pencil out of his hand with the other. "You need to get out more often and that little cutie is so excited about going on a picnic with you. You are not going to disappoint her because your teachers are sadists."

Ludwig hesitated for another moment, but he knew he'd already lost. Arguing with Mutti never got you anywhere. So he sighed and stood, glancing out of the window. "It looks like it's going to rain…"

"Doesn't matter. Just go out and have fun." And Ludwig wasn't allowed to hesitate again, as his mother began to push him toward the door while laughing. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Ludwig honestly doubted that there was anything in the world that he would even _consider _doing that his mother wouldn't do. She was absolutely fearless and… He didn't want to use the word 'insane' to describe his mother. That seemed rather disrespectful… But she was like an older, more-sane version of his sister.

He'd asked his father about their marriage once, wondering why someone as quiet and normal as his father would want to marry someone as outgoing and… Gill-like…as his mutti.

And when Ludwig had asked about their proposal, his father had responded by stating that 'Well, she asked me, actually. We were at a truck stop somewhere in Oklahoma. I think. I don't really know why we were in Oklahoma, but we were. And I was talking to someone about getting the car fixed when she suddenly just came up behind me, thrust a teddy bear into my hands, and asked me to marry her."

Ludwig sometimes wondered if maybe he'd secretly been adopted or switched at the hospital or something.

And now he was suddenly standing outside of his room, the door slamming behind him. Leaving him no other option than to go downstairs and find Feli.

A picnic. Why in the world did Feli want to go on a picnic right now, when it looked like it was about to rain?

…And he suddenly realized that Mutti was along in his room. Which was _never _a good situation.

Although nothing he could do about it now. He sighed and turned toward the staircase, slowly making his way downstairs and to the kitchen where Feliciana was sitting. A _huge _picnic basket resting on the table right in front of her. She immediately jumped up when Ludwig entered the room and—before he had a chance to greet her—had wrapped herself around him in a death grip.

"Ve~! I'm so happy that you wanted to come with me, Ludwig! We're going to have so much fun!"

"Uh, ja…" He was never entirely sure what to do with his hands when she did this, so he settled on patting her on the head a couple times before extricating himself from her hug. "So, we're going on a picnic?"

"Sì!" She immediately began chattering away excitedly as she ran back to the table and grabbed her basket, clinging to Ludwig's arm with the free arm as she dragged him out of the door. "I brought fettucini alfredo and spaghetti and some of the extra lasagna from last night. And a couple tomato sandwiches, since Antonio just brought over about a _billion _tomatoesfor Lovi." She giggled. "Lovi'd probably be mad if she found out I took some for our picnic, but he brings them over _all the time_ so I doubt she'd miss just a couple."

Never assume anything like that about Lovi.

"And I tried making wurst like you like, but it burned..." She frowned slightly, wrinkling her nose in a way that was...uh...rather...cute. "Ve~ Wurst is a lot harder to make than pasta."

"Ja, I suppose." Not that he'd know. He'd tried making pasta once, but then stopped after Feli had rather bluntly told him that it was disgusting and he should leave the pasta-making up to her.

"Ve~ I love picnics." She was leading him down the street, toward a nearby playground. "Don't you?"

If only it didn't rain. "Uh..." He hesitated, but then responded with a quick, "Ja. Ja..."

And received a beaming smile in response that sent a bunch of flutters through his chest. Hopefully he wasn't getting sick or something. "Ve~! That makes me so happy! We should have it under a tree or somewhere like that." She nuzzled her head against his side, sending even more flutters through Ludwig's poor stomach.

"Like over here!" And suddenly Feli broke away from him, managing to startle him, and ran ahead to a tree growing near a set of swings. "We can have a picnic right over here, ve!"

It _really _looked like it was going to rain, but Ludwig ignored it and followed her to the spot underneath the tree. She was already pulling her Tupperware from the basket and handed Ludwig a plate and fork as he sat down. "Ve~ I made all of this myself so you'll have to tell me what you think!"

If Feli had made all of this herself, then it would be perfect. Melt in your mouth delicious...

"I'm sure it will be wonderful, Feli," he replied, waiting as she scooped some of the spaghetti onto his plate and then began to dig into her own portion. It always amazed him how much she could eat when it was something she really liked. And yet she still managed to keep herself at a healthy weight—she wasn't really skinny or anything, but she wasn't _huge_… The perfect size, if you asked him. Which he hoped you wouldn't.

He took a bite of his spaghetti, forcing his thoughts in safer directions. And, of course, it was perfect. Feli really was incredible when it came to the culinary arts. She'd mentioned a few times that she might want to go to culinary school someday and Ludwig was sure that she'd do wonderfully there.

He nodded, noticing her expectant expression. "It's delicious."

"Ve~ I'm so glad." And then she suddenly moved closer.

_Much much _closer.

So close that her side was pressing against his. He felt his cheeks heat up and the flipping in his stomach start up again. Hopefully it wasn't the food.

"You should try the lasagna!" She exclaimed, reaching for another Tupperware container and digging a fork into the steaming cheesy dish inside. He watched, the heat increasing and increasing as she pulled it out and then moved it toward Ludwig's lips, still talking like it was nothing. "Nonno said it was the best he'd ever had! And Lovi said it was 'decent', which means that she thought it was delicious too!"

Ludwig's brain was quite close to short circuiting right now. Feli was _way _too close. And she was staring at him with such intense eyes, obviously expecting him to just eat the lasagna and not…not…

Ludwig hurriedly leaned forward and took the fork into his mouth. Because he was terrified of the direction that his brain had started heading. A terrifying direction where no mind had the right to head.

And then he chewed rather exaggeratedly and hurriedly threw out an "Mm, delicious," once he'd finished.

"Yay!" And she was even closer, this time hugging him with another of her death grips. "I'm so glad you like it, Ludwig!"

He really had no idea what his response would have been to that. Probably something awkward that he would have cursed himself for saying for days afterwards, knowing his track record. Which is why it was rather lucky that he suddenly felt a wet _drip _fall on his nose.

And then another. And another. And…

"Ve~ Oh no!" And the girl released her captive in order to begin throwing the food all back into its containers at an incredible speed. "It's raining! Ve~"

She sounded absolutely dejected, which Ludwig definitely did not want to hear. So he immediately began to help her, placing the containers back into her basket. "It's all right, Feli. We can have our picnic inside, ja? That would be fine?"

"But—I wanted to have it out here. I wanted it to be perfect." And she was about to start crying. He could tell.

Which immediately set off panic bells in Ludwig's mind, because he _hated _to see Feliciana cry. Absolutely hated it. Which meant he had to think of something quick.

"Well, well… Why don't we…" He tried to think. Try to think. "We could make a fort inside and have the picnic there? That would be fun, ja?"

And there was an immediate pause. Hopefully a happy pause that wouldn't lead to more crying. It was starting to pour, soaking both of them to the skin… Ludwig rather hated to be wet like this, but nothing he could do about it now.

And suddenly his complete soaked-ness increased. As a very excitable, wet little Italian girl threw herself into his arms again. "Ve~! That's such a good idea, Ludwig!"

Good. Good. Although he really had no idea how to make a fort inside, so this could turn out very interestingly.

* * *

A/N: Somebody requested more Ludwig and Feli, so here you go. :D Aren't they cuties?

And also, Luca and Leni are adorable too. Their proposal was actually based off of my high school music teacher's proposal. She proposed to her now-husband in a truck stop with a teddy bear. I thought it was an adorableeee~ story and it's totally something Leni would do.

Also, I wrote most of this chapter at work. It was bad. But I had nothing to do and I figured writing cute Ludwig/Feli (and some Luca/Leni that'll show up later probably) was better than sitting around doing nothing at all.

There was a lot of random head!canon in this. Such as the fact that Feli has a fear of heights. I should make a list of people's randoms fears. (Except it'd be a short list because the only two I'm sure of right now are that Feli hates heights and Ludwig hates merry-go-rounds. And I think there's a story behind Ludwig's hatred of merry-go-rounds, but I'm not sure what it is yet).

Next one is **flowers**, and if someone has any requests for that one then feel free to ask, because I have no idea what I'm doing yet. ;)


	31. 031: Flowers

**031. **Flowers  
**Characters:** Gill & Mattie  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** post-JaLP

* * *

**Inking**

Mattie honest-to-God could not believe she was doing this. This was absolutely _insane_… She was supposed to be the boring girl who never _ever _did anything spontaneously. She always thought everything through… Usually talked herself out of doing anything interesting.

She'd become such a different person since she'd met Gill. And she wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Don't worry! I've heard that it doesn't even hurt at all!"

She was also rather amazed that Gill hadn't said anything yet about how tightly Mattie was squeezing her hand. She _had_ to be cutting off the circulation to her fingers. Since she was so freaked out right now, standing in front of the black door covered with pointed, Gothic writing.

"And this guy is totally _awesome_! He's been in magazines and everything!"

What in the world was she _doing_? She hadn't asked her mom for permission; she hadn't done any research or anything...

They'd just been talking this afternoon while on their usual weekly date. They'd been at a local diner—Mattie's favourite diner, as it was modelled like it was from the 50's—sharing a large strawberry-banana milkshake. And just talking about random things. When Gill had noticed a man sitting a few booths away with a giant tattoo that covered his entire neck.

She'd proceeded to get really excited about that and started talking about how she thought tattoos were 'totally awesome' and how she wanted to go and take an 'awesome picture' of his tattoo. (Mattie had thankfully managed to distract her from that idea.)

To do so, however, she'd had to change the subject. And she'd changed the subject by mentioning the fact that she'd kind of always wanted a tattoo. Just a little one, on her ankle or somewhere like that.

Two days later and she was standing outside of the scariest tattoo parlour she'd ever seen, fifty dollars squeezed in the hand buried in her pocket.

What was she _doing_?

"This is going to be so _awesome_!" Gill was bouncing up and down excitedly, her braid swishing back and forth like a horse's tail. "You ready?"

"I guess." Was she seriously about to do this?

"Awesome!" And the door was suddenly _thrown_ open by a very excited Gill, who immediately hurried inside, tugging Mattie along behind her.

They burst into a room with walls plastered with tattoo designs and a counter set up in the centre of the room where you rather obviously paid. There also was a set of swinging doors painted black leading to another room, behind which she could hear the buzzing sound of someone else being tattooed. Standing behind the counter was a man... A very _big _man whose arms were absolutely _covered _with tattoos and who had a huge plug in his right earlobe.

Gill's eyes widened as soon as she set eyes on him. And then she hurried over without even giving Mattie a moment to adjust to the new, somewhat terrifying atmosphere. "Hi, my girlfriend wants to get a tattoo!"

Shoot, and Mattie had definitely not wanted Gill to say that. Either the 'girlfriend' part or the 'tattoo' part, actually. Gillian didn't seem to understand that some people might not be _okay_ with the fact that they were girlfriends... And Mattie didn't want to risk that this guy might be one of them.

It was one of the things that simultaneously kind of bothered Mattie about Gill and also made her feel incredibly jealous. She often really wished that she could be as open and unbothered by these sorts of things as Gill was—but there were other times when she just wished that Gill would realise how impractical that attitude was...

"What kind of tattoo do you want?" And that was the moment when Mattie realised she'd completely zoned out. And also realised that the man was now staring at her, expecting her to speak.

"Uh..." And her voice squeaked rather embarrassingly. "Just a little one. On my ankle. A rose, I think?" She glanced around at the pictures on the wall. Was she seriously doing this? She felt so out of place...

"I still think you should get a chick! That would be super awesomely cute! But roses can be awesome too."

Or... She'd been thinking about this, but it had felt kind of stupid. But... if she was getting a tattoo done anyway. "What about a maple leaf? Could you do a maple leaf on my ankle?"

Yeah, she maybe had a bit too much Canadian pride considering the fact she hadn't really lived there that long, but... She did. And she loved maple leaves. The thought they were gorgeous. Especially during the fall.

"Sure." And he smiled, a surprisingly pleasant smile considering how terrifying he was at first glance. "First time, huh?"

"Yeah." Yeah, she'd guessed that she'd be pretty obvious.

"Well, then, why don't you come into the back room and we can talk over what you want? You can come and get it done at a later date if you want time to think about it."

And that immediately led to instant relief. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. That sounds _really_ good." Although, she was starting to really like the idea...

Just imagine Ally's reaction when she found out, though...

* * *

A/N: Short chapter. Hon hon. I'm working on writing more shorts... It's a good skill to have, I think. And my writing class this May (that I'll _hopefully _still get to take) is going to focus on shorts.

Anyway, so tattoo! Mattie's getting a tattoo! ;D I based the tattoo parlour off the place where I got my piercing. Pretty intimidating place. Really nice guy working there though.

How it relates to the prompt? I had them mention roses. xD Weeee~ Lots of people asked for Gill and Mattie, so there you guys go.

Next one is **Night**. And it shall involve Ally and Arthur.


	32. 032: Night

**032. **Night  
**Characters:** Arthur & Ally  
**Genre: **Friendship/Humour  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** post-JaLP

* * *

**Once Upon a Midnight Dreary…**

Arthur would probably never understand why Ally did this to herself.

His git of a girlfriend _knew _thatshe was absolutely terrified of horror movies. Yet she went ahead and watched them anyway. Worse than that, she went and sought them out, as if the prospect of being so terrified that she couldn't sleep for the next week was somehow _enjoyable _to her. Arthur couldn't understand it.

"No!" And the _shriek_ coming from beside him rather effectively broke both his concentration and quite possibly his ear drums. "Don't go up there! Don't go up the—" And another scream, this one even louder, and then she suddenly _attacked _his arm, attaching herself to him as if with super glue.

Why was he here again? Not that he really had to ask. It was because he was now her _boyfriend_. And these were the sorts of things that boyfriends did for their girlfriends. They comforted them when they were frightened and enjoyed the clinging that occurred during the scary parts of movies…

Except she had a _really _strong grip and was quite possibly crushing his arm right now.

Although by this point, it really couldn't get much worse. His arm was already covered in bruises as testament to the earlier parts of the movie. "She's going up there! They're going to _kill_ her!" And Arthur winced as her grip tightened and she buried her face against his shoulder.

It'd been a long time since he'd last seen this movie; he supposed he should have re-watched it himself before recommending it to Ally. He'd hoped that the lack of special effects and background music would make it less terrifying than the zombie or ghost or alien movies that Ally usually watched.

He'd been wrong. Very wrong.

"Al, we don't need to finish—"

"No!" She wouldn't even let him finish his sentence. She lifted her face from his shoulder and turned her wide, terrified eyes back to the screen. Just as the woman twisted the doorknob and began to slowly push the door open.

Arthur readied himself for the screams.

And was not disappointed, as Ally screeched like an especially panicked banshee... Easily drowning out the actress's rather odd little gasps... Honestly, you'd think that someone would make more noise while being attacked by homicidal birds.

"Artie!" And he probably should have been paying more attention to the panicking girl beside him and less attention to the television screen, as _she _was more likely to randomly attack him. And suddenly _dig her nails into his thigh..._

Which had _not _been expected. And those nails were currently _way_ too close to a certain area of his body...

"Ah, Al..."

But she was _way_ too focused on the scene to pay attention to his discomfort, of course.

"Al!"

She continued to ignore him. And okay, he needed to get out of here. Right now.

And, of course, she only _started _paying attention to him when he began squirming away in an escape attempt. "Artie? Where're..." Except she interrupted herself with a shriek and grabbed onto Arthur's arm. Which left him in an awkward position half on and half off the couch.

"I need to—uh—go to the restroom..." First excuse he could think of.

"But the movie isn't over yet!"

"But I have to—"

And he was, _thank God_, interrupted at that moment. By the sound of the front door opening and then voices...

"I can't believe you threw _popcorn _at that guy..."

"Dude, he was totally checking you out. Nobody checks my girl out except for me."

It sounded like Gillian and Mattie were back from their date. Which hopefully meant that Ally would be completely distracted and he would be able to escape...

Except those hopes were dashed when the two girls walked into the room. Mattie just looked slightly confused by Arthur's position—he was still half-kneeling on the couch, half-standing beside it—but Gill was holding...

"It's going to kill us!" And those completely unexpected words were punctuated by Arthur suddenly being tugged off balance by a now-completely-panicking Allison Jones. And practically _thrown _onto the floor, managing to hit his head on the coffee table in the process.

And then Ally was practically _lying _on top of him. Which did not help matters _at all._

There was a moment of silence and then, "What the hell?"

Okay, Arthur groaned. New rule... Ally was never watching a movie with homicidal animals in it _ever again_. Especially when one of their friends owned said animal.

* * *

A/N: Lah. Not much to say about this chapter... If you didn't figure it out (which you should have) the movie they were watching was "The Birds". Which you all need to watch if you haven't already. Because everyone needs to watch _all _of Alfred Hitchcock's movies. Because I said so...

(Although "Rear Window" is my personal favourite, yes. ;D)

Mm, they were watching this movie at night, which is how it relates to the prompt. Also, the title has night in it. And the title was chosen because it's the first line from "The Raven" and the raven is a type of bird. Yes, aren't I clever? ;D

Poor Gilbird. Ally is now going to be terrified of him for a while.

Ooh, in random news. I got a job for the summer! :D I'm going to be working at a glass museum near my house! Which I am super excited about, yay!

Next prompt is **Expectations**.


	33. 033: Expectations

**033. **Expectations  
**Characters:** Leon and Big Mike's evil presence  
**Genre: **Humour  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** around JaLP time

* * *

**In Which Big Mike is the Spawn of Satan**

No matter how much he griped about her and called her the spawn of Satan (which she was), Leon really did love his grandmother…

It was just ridiculously _hard_ sometimes. Especially after weekends like this past one, when she'd decidedto set him up on _five _different blind dates. It was rather difficult to feel _any _good feelings toward someone after they did something like that.

…Seriously. _Five _blind dates.

And not _normal _blind dates either—if there were such things. No, this weekend had been filled with blind dates of the weirdest kind.

Date number one had been…interesting, to say the least. Interesting and rather creepy. She'd spent practically the entire meal talking about Spock and Kirk and fanfiction—whatever that was. He'd barely been able to get a word in edgewise. Although that was probably for the best to be honest, since he wouldn't have had a clue what in the world to say to her.

And, you know, he'd actually been okay with that. It'd been a while since he went on a date and she seemed like a nice enough girl, if a bit eccentric. She fit in well with the rest of the town, at least. He'd gone home, taken a shower, changed into his most comfortable pair of sweats and an old T-shirt, prepared to spend the rest of his work-free weekend relaxing on the couch with a book.

Until the phone rang. And his grandmother had informed him of the fact that she'd set him up on _another _date taking place in fifteen minutes at a coffee shop across town.

He _did _love his grandmother. Even if she was the spawn of Satan.

And she'd _conveniently_ failed to inform him of the fact that said date happened to be _male_. Which had been a bit of a shock, to say the least. The guy had been…nice enough, he supposed. Rather intense in some way that Leon couldn't quite put his finger on, though. But they'd had a rather enjoyable conversation over coffee anyway.

He was still a bit strange, though. Probably mainly because he'd worn a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses even inside the shop. And there was the fact that he must have had some sort of speech defect, since he'd seemed to almost _hiss_ whenever he pronounced his s's.

Anyway, it'd gone about as well as could be expected considering the fact that Leon had absolutely _no_ interest in dating anyone right now. And his grandmother _knew _that. He'd therefore hoped that that would be the end of it.

But of _course_ not. The next day he'd woken up to another phone call informing him of the fact that he had a breakfast date at a diner _thankfully _within walking distance. He'd still just _barely_ managed to make it, though. And it'd been with another guy. A short guy who'd spent the entire date playing practical jokes on absolutely everyone else in the restaurant and who almost got them kicked out in the process. Leon knew he'd never be able to show his face in _that _restaurant again. The guy had also had the most ridiculous sweet tooth that Leon had ever seen in another human being. Absolutely _doused _his pancakes in strawberry syrup and whipped cream. And then ordered an ice cream sundae for dessert… Leon hadn't even known that you could order dessert with breakfast.

Leon had desperately hoped that he was the last one, but that would be too easy. His grandmother had called _again _around lunch, telling him that he was meeting another date at _Torreno's _for dinner. _Torreno's _being pretty much the fanciest restaurant in town. A suit and tie sort of place. And the only tie that Leon owned was a light-up reindeer one that his cousin had bought him for Christmas a couple years ago as a gag gift. Date number three—and Leon couldn't think of his name right now, started with a 'G' he thought—probably would have enjoyed it.

He'd actually had to go out and _buy _a tie. But at least he already owned a suit… A hand-me-down from his uncle, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

So he'd gone to _Torreno's _and met date number 4, who just so happened to be another guy. And to be honest, he had no idea what he should make of that. So he'd decided to just not think about it.

And that dinner had been…well…mildly awkward was probably the best way to describe it. The guy seemed nice enough. He was very polite; his language was kind of oddly formal. He just had this ridiculously intense _stare_. And he didn't talk much. Or blink.

So most of the meal had been spent in awkward silence while Leon tried to a) think of things to talk about and b) figure out why there were like five different forks sitting beside his plate.

He should introduce date number 4 to Johnson. They'd probably get along pretty well. They could sit and _stare_ at each other in silence for a few hours.

Anyway, so he'd gone home after that and collapsed in his bed fully-clothed. Not caring that he was going to wrinkle the hell out of his suit.

And he was _this _close to throwing his phone out of the window when it woke him up the next morning. The only reason he didn't was because this was the third phone he'd bought this year—the other two had perished in Gill and Francis related incidents—and he really didn't feel like going through that hassle again.

So date number 5. Thankfully a lunch date so he actually had time to get ready. And a girl this time.

Actually, date number 5 had gone rather well. She was _normal_, as shocking as that was in this town. Her name was Jessica; she was pretty, blonde, a nursing student over at the community college. They'd talked about all sorts of things: her classes, his work, books, music…

And then _they'd _found him.

Which, there was no possible way that that could have been a coincidence.

…And Leon didn't particularly want to dwell on what had happened after the terrible trio had swooped down upon their table. Suffice to say that he was never going to step foot inside that restaurant ever again.

So yes, Leon did love his grandmother. Somehow. But this weekend had just proven to him that she was also _evil incarnate_.

* * *

A/N: So yeah, this story was not supposed to turn out this way at all. xD Ummm… For whatever reason imagining Leon on a bunch of blind dates just amused me more than it should and I decided to run with it. *shrugs* Poor guy.

Although the question now is whether Big Mike was actually trying to set him up with someone or if she was just messing with him… Hmmm… Or both. Because both is always good.

Anybody happen to recognise any of the dates by the way? Because yes, I stole them from another show (and one from a book). If you did, then you get cookies. Lots of cookies. :D Also, I consider it probably a sign that you've been watching too much of a show (slash, reading too many fanfics for it) when you feel the need to bring charries from it into your own AU for a fandom that has nothing to do with it at all. But oh well~ If nothing else, at least it amuses me.

Plus, I already brought Leon in and what does Resident Evil have to do with Hetalia? Nothing except for the fact I'm randomly obsessive over both.

Also, I love crossovers with a burning passion for some reason…

Dates always involve expectations, so that's how it relates to the prompt. Next one is **Stars**.


	34. 034: Stars

**034. **Stars  
**Characters:** Mathias & Jakob (Denmark & Norway)  
**Genre:**Humour  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** around JaLP time

* * *

**The Danish Idiot**

_The story of how I ended up staying in the home of the famous actress, Camilla Kinney, is one that begins (as it seems all my stories begin nowadays) with the Danish idiot…_

"Jakey~! Hey, Jakey~!"

_The Danish idiot, a violet camper, and a dilapidated llama farm._

"Come on, Jakey! She's got an _Olympic-sized_ swimming pool in her basement! And a _Jacuzzi_!"

_And if the Danish idiot doesn't shut up in the next five seconds, I'm going to strangle him with his own necktie._

And _that_ was probably the sign that told him that he should give up on his article for now. Since there was no way that Mathias was going to leave him alone anytime soon, and his therapist _had_ told him that he should avoid overly-stressful situations as much as possible.

...The fact that he was currently travelling across the entirety of the continental United States with the cause of ninety-eight percent of his stress made it rather difficult to follow this advice, but what else was he supposed to do when the Danish idiot was his meal ticket?

You see, Jakob Engen was a journalist. A journalist who was currently working on what was turning into the biggest story of his career.

And you know? Sometimes he wished he'd never come up with the idea.

It'd started out as a routine assignment; he was supposed to go and interview the owners of a brand-new bakery opening in the next-door town of Normal. A boring assignment, too, and probably one of the reasons why their little magazine was floating in a sea of red, since who really cared about a little bakery in the middle of nowhere?

Anyway, so it should have been a boring, everyday assignment. Except for the fact that on the way there, he'd run into Mathias Køhler, his childhood... acquaintance. And things went fuzzy after that.

He'd woken up in a disco-themed hotel room, three states away, with an unconscious Mathias, a pastel pink-haired male midget, and a _massive _Rottweiler. And, of course, the most terrible hangover of his life.

How had Jakob managed to keep from being fired? Because he _should _have been fired; there was no doubt about that. He'd decided to sell his soul to the devil and write an article about _Mathias_ and what had actually happened that night—once he figured out what had happened at least.

It shouldn't have been enough, but if there was one thing that Jakob was good at, it was writing an entertaining story. His boss had been rather ticked off with him at first, but then the letters had started rolling in. People _loved _his article.

And then he'd received the assignment that had led to this exact moment. The magazine's travel writer had just quit for personal reasons, and guess who was offered the job?

And _guess who_ had decided to followhim...

Their subscribers absolutely _loved _to read about Mathias's exploits, and Jakob's bosses loved whatever the readers loved. Which meant that Jakob was now stuck travelling across the continental United States with a Danish idiot, writing about said idiot's absolutely ridiculous feats of stupidity.

Making a decent amount of money in the process, but add in the expenses of therapy and medication and he's not sure if it's worth it.

"Jakey~"

Ten, just count to ten...

"Jaaaakey~"

"_What_?" And he is _this _close to attempting to murder the bastard. Again.

"Dude, Cami's waiting for us. In her _Olympic-sized swimming pool_. What'cha workin' on anyways?" And the idiot leaned forward in an attempt to read over Jakob's shoulder. Was thwarted when the other man slammed the laptop closed and sent him a dirty look, though.

Not that he really seemed to mind, as he just leaned back for a moment and then dropped a pair of swim trunks over Jakob's head. "We'll be downstairs waiting for you. Don't take too long. Cami's inviting over a whole bunch of her movie star friends."

At least this would lead to an interesting article. The story of how he and Mathias had gone from living in a faded purple camper and working at a run-down llama farm to staying in the home of a movie star.

He just had to figure out _how _exactly it had happened. All he knew at the moment was that Mathias had disappeared for a few days a couple weeks ago, and had then reappeared in a limousine with the star of such insipid blockbusters as _Destiny's Fallen Heart_, _One Small Step_, and _Time Unmeasured._

He'd have to interview the idiot later to find out just what had happened.

And if he wanted _that_ to happen, he'd have to go along with whatever harebrained schemes his unfortunately-partner had cooked up for tonight.

Jakob sighed and bent to pick up the pair of swim trunks that had fallen to the floor. Sometimes he wished he could have gone off with his brother to study puffins' mating habits or whatever it was he was working on now. Not that Ice would have _appreciated _his presence, but he was used to his little brother's teenage angst—which he'd never seemed to grow out of, unfortunately—by now.

He took his time donning the swimsuit, and then dawdled his way down to the basement. Taking careful note of the building's layout and the ornamentation as he proceeded.

_Potted hibiscus plants line the hallways. A golden lion reclines at the bottom of the staircase, mouth open in eternal roar..._

Something like that.

He only has to ask for directions from a passing servant once, which is pretty good when you consider the fact that he'd been half-asleep during the tour that Camilla had given them last night.

"Cannonball!"

And he opens the door to the pool room just in time to watch as the Danish idiot throws himself into the deep end of the pool with a tsunami-like splash. Absolutely _soaking _a pair of rather familiar-looking, bikini-clad women who had been sitting on the pool deck, chatting.

They were going to get kicked out, he could tell already. And he would be incredibly annoyed when that happened. As this was, by far, the nicest place they'd stayed...

They didn't seem _too _angry, though. They laughed when Mathias resurfaced, spurting water from his mouth like an unhygienic fountain.

"Hey, Jakey! You made it!" He called, drawing the women's attention to the new arrival. "Come on in! The water's great!"

Original. He'd think of better dialogue later...

For now, he watched as Mathias doggy-paddled over to the two women and rested against the deck. "Meet Raychel Ford and Carrie Anne Keagan. They were in that movie that came out last summer. The one with the crazy girl who ends up running her car into a semi."

"_Angel on My Shoulder_."

"Yeah, that one!"

Jakob vaguely remembered that movie; it had been one of the films playing at the drive-in theatre where Mathias had worked for a few weeks last summer. The man who owned the place had let them live in his camper and watch all of the films they wanted from on top of the snack shop roof.

The readers had _loved _that story. His story about sitting under the stars, watching corny films while Mathias threw popcorn at the couples down below.

"Come on in, Jakey!"

Jakob ignored the call and instead walked over to stand beside the two actresses. _Exclusive interview with Raychel Ford and Carrie Anne Keagan. _It wasn't often that their middle-of-nowhere little magazine had the chance to run an article about a pair of movie stars.

Unfortunately, _those_ thoughts were suddenly cut off when he was unexpectedly _doused_ by a wave of water.

And Mathias was standing in the water, laughing hysterically at him. "Watch out, ladies! Jakey's got his paparazzi face on!"

Count to ten. Just stand here and count to ten...

"Come on in, Jakey! You can harass them for their autographs later!"

And there was absolutely no way that he was going to get anything done with Mathias around, which meant that he might as well join him in the pool.

Obnoxious idiot.

* * *

A/N: Heeeey, first time seeing these guys since they were kids, yeah? Hoho. They managed to escape from the black hole that is Pleasantville.

Random thought. Dude, can you imagine being a shrink in Pleasantville? Mentioning Jakob's therapist just made my mind travel along that path. I mean, would that person be considering lucky or incredibly unlucky? They'd have the potential to make _lots _of money... (Well, they'd have to get people into their office first, but after that...) But hoo-boy, they'd have their work cut out for them.

Secondly, a handful of you got the references in the last chapter. Leon's blind dates were (in order of appearance): Becky from the TV show _Supernatural_, Crowley from the book _Good Omens_, Gabriel from _Supernatural_, Castiel from _Supernatural_, and Jess, also from _Supernatural_.

Yeah. Guess what show I've been watching for the past month or so? (And reading so many fanfics for that I've been having Destiel-themed dreams every night for the past couple weeks, yes...) And _Good Omens _is pretty much one of my favourite books ever. Everyone should go read it. Right now. _Do it... _

Said characters may or may not show up again in the future. Because I like crossovers, tormenting Leon, and creating a cast list for this verse that is absolutely ridiculous.

Stars stands for movie stars! Wee~ Next prompt is **Hold my Hand**.


	35. 035: Hold my Hand

**035. **Hold my Hand  
**Characters:** Grandpa Roma, Lovi & Feli  
**Genre:**Family  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period: **right after Tomatita

* * *

**New Family**

Romulus Roma was not a _bad_ man.

Yes, he was rather hedonistic. And yes, he lived his life by the maxim of 'eat, drink, and be merry'. He derived great enjoyment from excesses of wine, women, and song. But he _wasn't_ a deadbeat. And if he'd known about his daughter, then he sure as hell would've gone ahead and done the proper thing. Whatever that was.

But they'd managed to keep her a secret—for almost thirty _years_—and not only her, but also his granddaughters...

And how astonishing was that? He'd come back from his three month trip to Rome to find out that not only was he a father, but also a _grandfather_. And the girl he'd apparently managed to knock up all those years ago? Nereza _Vargas._

Of _the _Vargas family. Which explained how they'd managed to find him at least...

It was a pity that he couldn't really remember her, though. He felt like he _should_, but there'd been so many ladies throughout the years and, in his younger mind at least, she'd just been another one-night stand.

He supposed that he should've been expecting something like this to happen eventually, as he'd been rather less-than-careful about protection when he was younger. He'd learned his lesson eventually—getting diagnosed with Hep-B could do that—but he'd always suspected that there were probably at least a few individuals out there sharing half of his DNA...

"Nonno!"

And he was brought back to the present by the call originating around his knees. He immediately smiled, allowing his gaze to fall to the little face peering up at him. The big amber eyes that he was already finding impossible to resist.

His life had turned a complete 180 in the last couple of weeks. He'd spent his previous years single, unattached, travelling to exotic locales—and now he was a _grandfather_; a grandfather who'd packed up his old life, bought a house in one of those small towns where everybody knew everybody, and committed to raising two pre-schoolers.

Romulus Roma believed in doing things whole-heartedly.

"Yeah, Feli?"

Feliciana was the less-difficult granddaughter. She loved hugs, cuddles, sweets, stuffed animals, tea parties, and playing dress-up. She was the one who reached up to grasp at his hand when they were walking through the store or crossing the street. She was absolutely _adorable_.

And now she pointed across the aisle at a pink lamp with a fuzzy purple lampshade. "Ve~ Nonno, can I have _that one _for my room, _please_?"

"Of course, Fels!" This was their task for today, after all. Furniture shopping!

Furniture shopping for the girls' rooms, at least. Since he'd _finally_ finished with the rest of the house. Roma had never actually realised just how much work went into decorating and furnishing a home. It was exhausting and if it hadn't been for the Beilschmidts, he'd probably still be standing in his new kitchen, staring at the ugly gold-coloured cabinets in horror.

"What about you, Lovina?" And now he turned toward the other girl, who was hobbling a few feet behind on her crutches. Lips twisted down in her usual pout.

Now Lovi... Lovi was his more _challenging_ granddaughter. Stubborn, purposely difficult. She seemed to hate all of the cute things that her little sister adored. _And_ she seemed to dislike most other children. And most adults... Most people in general, actually.

She didn't seem to like _him _much either. But he supposed that made sense, since he _had _just appeared out of nowhere and thrust himself into their lives.

But he was quite sure that he'd be able to win her over. He was _terrific _with kids after all.

"What kind of lamp do you want?" He bent down a little so he was closer to her level. Lovi absolutely hated to be talked down to—which did make things challenging since she was only about four feet tall. He had to do a lot of stooping in her presence.

"Don't want one."

That surprised him a little bit. "You don't want one?"

And now she glared at him like he was a complete idiot. Which in her mind, he probably was... "Stupid." She glared at the fluffy lamp that her sister had chosen as if it had personally offended her. "Don't want new room."

Ah, and _that _made a little more sense. "Do you want your old room back, Lovi?" It was only natural that she'd miss her old life. Feli had already asked him about her Mommy quite a few times.

Bella. His long-lost daughter. He'd gone to talk to her a couple days after he'd arrived. And, well, it'd been a rather horrific experience. She'd been drinking when he arrived—and she probably _had been _drinking for the past few weeks or so. Then she'd spent most of their first meeting cursing at him and telling him _exactly _what she thought of him.

But he supposed he should've been expecting _that _too. Signora Beilschmidt had warned him about Bella...

"No." Ah, and he'd almost managed to forget about Lovi. She was still pouting up at him. "Wanna stay with Mama Potato."

That response? Definitely not expected... "Mama Potato?"

"Mommy 'Tato!" Feli repeated, giggling.

Roma knew that Lovi called Ludwig a 'stupid potato' for some reason, so that must make Leni 'Mama Potato'. He'd have to inform her of this fact if she wasn't already aware. Because that was absolutely _precious_. Of course he _would _have the cutest granddaughters in the entire universe! "You want to stay with Signora Beilschmidt?"

She continued pouting, but then nodded.

And Lovina was absolutely _adorable_.

"Not stupid potato," she added, stomping one of her little Mary Jane-clad feet against the concrete to emphasise her point.

Where in the world had that nickname even come from anyway? he wondered. She must have picked it up from _someone_...

Not that that was important right now. What was important was that he was her primary caregiver now, which meant that he should be reassuring her right now. So he leaned even farther over and patted her on the head. "Don't worry, lovey. You'll be able to see Signora Beilschmidt all the time after you come and live with me."

And what did he receive in response? A hug or a kiss or an adorable little smile, like the ones that often graced her little sister's face?

No. She _kicked him. _Right in the shin. And immediately began to hobble off in the opposite direction. Surprisingly quickly considering the fact that she was doing so on crutches.

Well... That wasn't good.

"Wait! Lovi! You need to stay with Nonno! Wait!"

* * *

A/N: Yeah, so I'm an awful person for being so ridiculously slow with updates. I hate writer's block. =.= Graaah. This is like my fourth attempt to write this chapter... And the next chapter of R&R is being a bitch too. And JaLP as well and uggggh... *whines in intense irritation* And I still don't like this chapter, but I'm too annoyed right now to care.

Blah. But in happier news, I started my job for the summer at the glass museum and it's quite fun. Even if I do have to stand for forever, which is rather tiring for my poor little feetsies. Um... And since I've been having issues writing, I've been reading more. Which is lovely~ Lots of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and various other fantasy writers. Which is fun, because I haven't read a lot of fantasy stuff in quite a while.

And I've been watching Supernatural and Doctor Who when I get a chance. Because emotional trauma is _fun_..._  
_

And I've got some new ideas for some original stories. So yay~ Whether I'll actually write them is still up in the air, but at least I have some ideas.

Hold your hand... Grandpa Roma is holding Feli's hand. Wee~ Next prompt is **Precious Treasure**.


	36. 036: Precious Treasure

036. Precious Treasure  
Characters: Arthur & Francis  
Genre: Friendship  
Rating: K  
Time Period: after Tomatita

* * *

Pirate Battles

"Avast, maties! Yo ho ho!"

Captain Arthur Kirkland was currently traveling the seven seas, on the grandest adventure of his pirate life. Which was actually saying something, since he'd been on lots and lots of adventures since he'd become a dastardly pirate. He'd fought the Kraken and defeated the annoying pirate captain Francis and he'd pillaged all sorts of villages.

Right now, though, he was on a quest that was greater than any of those, as he was currently traversing the ocean in order to find the secret, hidden treasure of the evil Captain Dreadbeard. Hidden away on one of these abandoned, monster-filled islands.

"Swab the poopdeck!" he shouted.

But he immediately received a response of, "Non, I don't want to. I'm first mate, so I don't have to do the swabbing."

Captain Arthur turned and glared at where Francis, his now-first mate, was leaning against one of the walls of his ship, grinning from under his not-as-awesome-as-Arthur's pirate hat.

The only thing that would make this adventure much better was if he had a better crew. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to choose a decent crew, as he'd arrived at the park this morning with his mum to find that only Francis, Antonio, and Lovina were playing on the playground. And Antonio had his _own_ ship over near the sandbox.

Although Arthur supposed that at least Francis was a better first mate than _Lovina_. He couldn't imagine why Antonio wanted to play with her when all she did was yell at him and hit him with various objects.

"First mates have to do what the captain says!" Arthur explained as he pushed his hat up. It kept threatening to fall over his eyes, which definitely wouldn't help him inspire fear into his mutinying crew.

"I think I'd make a much better pirate captain," Francis responded, as he reached out and _poked_ at Arthur's hat, sending it falling over his face. He flailed about for a few moments before he was able to settle it back into place.

Mutiny! "I'll make you walk the plank if you don't listen to me!"

Francis, of course, just shrugged and then crossed his arms over his chest. "Then I'll just join Antoine's crew and you can have no crew at all."

…You know, Arthur would much rather have _Gill_ here to play with. Sure, she'd want to be captain too and they'd have to play rock-paper-scissors to decide, but at least she didn't talk back the entire time they were playing. But she had to go to piano lessons, which meant he was stuck with Francis.

Arthur frowned as he thought, and then sighed. "Fine, you don't hafta swab the poop deck. We're almost at the island anyway. It'd just get all dirty when we go out to search for the treasure."

And that seemed to satisfy Francis, as he grinned and leaned over the wall of the ship. "Bon, now where's the island?"

"It's…" Arthur hesitated, as he realized that he hadn't thought too hard about _where_ the treasure would be hidden. His gaze crossed over the sea-playground. He could see his mum sitting next to Antonio's mum on a bench nearby, probably talking about boring grown up things. Near them were the swings and teeter-totters and sandbox.

"Over there," he finally decided and pointed toward the teeter-totters. "To get to the treasure, we have to go over those rickety bridges and past the swinging blades."

"Okay," Francis agreed easily. "Do we get to go now?"

Arthur thought about it for another moment and then nodded. "Yes. Before evil Captain Antonio and his crew get there first."

Although Antonio seemed more focused on Lovina than the treasure, as he seemed to be trying to convince her to give back his hat and spy glass. She was crushing both against her chest and presumably refusing to release them.

Which meant that Arthur and his crew currently had the upper hand. Francis immediately left his post and headed toward the rope ladder that led off the play place and down to the ground. "Last one down's a rotten egg!"

Of course, Arthur didn't have a _chance _at beating him, since he'd cheated.

"I'm gonna feed you to the sharks!" he shouted as he climbed after his renegade first mate. Who was already running toward the teeter-totters.

"Gotta catch me first, Captain!" Francis was laughing as he raced toward the teeter-totters. He climbed on top of one of them and carefully walked across, easily keeping his balance as it shifted with his movement.

It didn't take _too _long for Arthur to catch up. Francis was only about halfway across when he reached the end.

"I'm the Captain! I'm supposed to be leading!"

Francis turned his head and sent him an amused smirk. "Maybe that means _I _should be the captain. I'm faster and smarter and better than you."

And _that _was it. _Arthur_ was the captain; he shouldn't be disrespected by his stupid crew. He sent Francis an infuriated glare and then threw himself heavily on the end of the teeter-totter so the opposite side was thrown upwards and knocked Francis off balance.

Which probably wasn't a good idea, he realized, as Francis fell hard onto his knees and just barely managed to keep himself from toppling off the teeter totter. Arthur heard the sound of feet rushing toward them and _knew _he was going to be in big trouble.

"Arthur!"

Yeah, that was Mum's 'you are in so much trouble right now' voice. He winced as he walked over to where Francis was holding his knee and saw that there was blood and his pants were all torn up from where he'd fallen.

Francis didn't cry, though; he just pressed his hand over the cut and sat there. And Arthur wasn't sure what to do.

All he could really do was wait until his and Antonio's mothers arrived after a few moments that seemed like much longer to Arthur. Antonio's mum immediately knelt down in front of Francis with a package of tissues from her purse. She smiled up at him and murmured reassuringly, then pressed a wad of tissues against his cut to stop it from bleeding. Meanwhile, Arthur's mum started scolding him and then grabbed his hand… "We are going home right now, Arthur Charles Kirkland, and you are grounded for the entire weekend!"

"But…" He could see Antonio and Lovi watching him from their ship. "But, mummy…"

She ignored him, turning toward Antonio's mum. "Are you okay to take Francis and the others home or do you want me—"

"We're all right. It is not a bad cut." She turned and sent Arthur a smile. "I am sure Arthur didn't mean to hurt his friend, yes?"

"No…" He'd just wanted to stop Francis from being stupid and now he was in lots of trouble and Mum would probably tell his dad and he'd yell at him…

Mum tugged his arm sharply. "You should tell Francis you're sorry."

"Sorry." Francis didn't look super mad or anything, at least. He was distractedly playing with the strings hanging off his ripped jeans right now.

He tilted his head for a moment as he stared at Arthur, as if thinking about whether to accept his apology. Then he smiled slightly. "It's okay. But this means that next time _I_ get to play the captain!"

Arthur supposed that seemed like a fair trade, although he wasn't looking forward to giving up his captain hat. He nodded, though, and then followed reluctantly as his mum tugged him toward the parking lot in a walk of shame past all of the other kids.

* * *

A/N: Short little story today… Arthur and Franny have forever been frenemies, even when they were tiny little pirates.

Mm, not much to say. Please review? I haven't been getting many reviews on my chappy's recently and it makes me a little sad.

Oh, and Arthur's middle name is Charles... Because... Charles was an English king? And I'm doing my senior thesis on him so right now I think English kings and I'm like CHARLES. Or JAMES. Oh senior thesis, I should be working on you. Instead I am writing fanfics.

Precious treasure is because 1) they're precious little things and 2) they're looking for treasure. Weee~

Next prompt shall be **Eyes**.


	37. 037: Eyes

037. Eyes  
Characters: Arthur, Ally, Francis, & Kiku  
Genre: Romance/Friendship  
Rating: T  
Time Period: before JaLP

* * *

**Meganekko**

"Ah, l'amour…"

"Shut up, frog. Why the hell couldn't you stay in the car?"

Francis grinned as he leaned back against the metal fence surrounding Allison and Mattie's porch. "And miss watching you make a fool of yourself in front of cher Allison? Non, non." He glanced back toward Kiku, who was standing at the bottom of the steps that led up to the porch. "Kiku wanted to see as well, oui?"

Kiku had the good sense not to respond. He just hugged his sketch pad closer to his chest and watched as Arthur sighed in irritation and then pressed his finger firmly against the buzzer.

"We're not staying," he forcibly told Francis as he released the button and took a step backwards. "We're just checking up on Al and bringing her some soup because she's probably eating all of that high-processed, sugar-filled crap."

Francis rolled his eyes and again glanced back toward Kiku. "What an idiot. So smitten and can't see he's smitten."

"Shut up." He shifted the pot of soup in his hands and reached up to rap his fist on the door.

"And you never thanked me for throwing out that disgusting slop that _you_ made for her. It would've made the poor girl even sicker than she already is."

He received an incredibly dirty look in response, but Arthur didn't have a chance to respond as the door was suddenly opened.

And yeah, Mattie hadn't been kidding when she'd said that Ally was miserably sick. She looked like shit; dark circles looked like they'd been permanently etched under her eyes, her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail with a few strands escaping, her skin was pale, and she was currently wrapped in a fuzzy Superman blanket.

She brightened up a little bit when she saw Arthur, though. "Artie." Her voice was croaky and she coughed into her sleeve as soon as the word got out.

One of the more interesting things, though, was that Ally was also currently wearing a pair of glasses—a pair of red, square-rimmed glasses. Which was interesting, as Francis hadn't even known that she owned or needed glasses.

"I—" And Arthur was _staring _at her with this expression of amazement. Which was a little strange, unless…

Francis grinned. Oh, he was _definitely _teasing Arthur about this later.

Arthur had seemed to finally realize that he should probably explain what they were doing here; he pushed the pot of soup toward her. "I knew that since you're a git, you probably aren't eating things that are actually _good _for you, so… Uh, I brought soup."

Ally blinked down at the pot for a few seconds before she took it. "Did _you _make it?"

"Non, chéri, you don't have to worry. I made it myself." Francis smirked at the annoyed look Arthur sent him. "I threw out the soup he made. I wouldn't want you to get food poisoning on top of everything else."

Arthur looked infuriated by Francis's comments, which just made this entire situation more entertaining. And now he was staring at Ally again, or—to be more specific—he was staring at those _glasses_.

And Ally seemed to suddenly notice, as she reached up toward her nose and touched the rims. And, amusingly, blushed almost _instantly. _"Uh, thanks!" she exclaimed as she practically _leapt _backwards. "I'm sure it'll help me get better super quick and then I can get back to heroic stuff! So thanks a lot. Bye bye!" And then she slammed the door closed.

How adorable~

Arthur stood there with a bemused expression, staring at the door as if he expected her to open it again and explain what had just happened.

Francis laughed. "How cute."

"What?"

Oh, Arthur… "She's shy about her glasses, cher. She must not realize that you have a glasses fetish."

And Arthur immediately bristled at that. Because if Francis knew anything, it was how to spot a fetish from miles away. "I do not have a glasses festish!"

"Who would have thought that Allison-kun was secretly a meganekko." And Francis had almost forgotten about Kiku's presence; he was still standing at the bottom of the stairs. Although now he had opened his sketchbook and was drawing something, probably something that involved Ally and her glasses.

Francis returned his attention to Arthur. "Of course you do, cher." He took a step forward and poked Arthur's cheek. "Youcouldn't take your eyes off of them."

Arthur responded by slapping his finger away. Which was rude. "I was just startled. I didn't realize that she even had to wear contacts or glasses or whatever…"

"Now, cher, a glasses fetish is nothing to be ashamed of!" Francis spun around and spread his arms toward Kiku. "Right?"

It took Kiku a moment to notice that the others had stopped speaking; he was so focused on his drawing. After a couple minutes of silence, he glanced up and then straightened hurriedly. "Ah, I apologize…"

"You agree that a glasses fetish is nothing to be ashamed of, right?"

"Ah," he looked rather unsure of what was the safest response. He finally just nodded and then returned to his sketching.

Francis found it highly entertaining to see Arthur get so embarrassed. "See, Kiku agrees with me." It wasn't like Francis didn't already _know_ practically everything about Arthur's sexual fantasies. They'd had sex enough times for him to know most of Arthur's kinks.

A glasses kink was rather unexpected, though, and surprisingly innocent. Which is why Francis found it so funny to see Arthur blush like a virgin schoolgirl. The only reason he was so embarrassed was probably because it involved _Ally _and Arthur's puppy-crush on that girl was simultaneously adorable and agonizing. Because the idiot _refused _to do anything about it.

Which was why Francis now leaned forward and pressed his finger firmly against the doorbell.

"What are you—?"

It took Allison much less time to answer the ringing this time; she probably hadn't gotten too far since she slammed the door closed. _Now_, however, she wasn't wearing the glasses.

She obviously hadn't put her contacts in either, as she just stood there and squinted at them.

"Where did your glasses go?"

Oh, Arthur. Francis took a few steps back so he could lean against the railing and watch as this played out. Kiku was now watching them with a studious expression on his face, like he wanted to memorize their actions and use them in a book.

She pulled her blanket tighter around herself and tried to look innocent. "What glasses?"

"The glasses you were just bloody wearing!" He frowned, obviously not pleased by her denial.

These two idiots. They were absolutely _made _for each other.

Ally shook her head. "I wasn't wearing any glasses."

"Yes, you were!" He glanced back toward Francis as if to ask him to back him up, but then seemed to notice the evil grin that the other boy sported and decided to skip him. "Kiku!"

And Kiku, again revealing his infinite wisdom, glanced down at his sketchbook for a moment and then exclaimed, "I just remembered, Arthur-san. I have to call Eli-kun about his commission and he'll be upset if I don't do it soon. So I will be waiting in the car for you." And he immediately turned and hurried off toward where Francis had parked.

Leaving Arthur with Francis and an Ally who was apparently so embarrassed about her glasses that she was willing to lie even though all three of them had seen them on her face only a few moments before…

Sometimes Francis loved his life.

"Anyway," Arthur shifted his weight nervously and stared down at his shoes, now apparently too embarrassed to look Ally in the eyes. "You should…get back inside. Before you catch a cold. Because you're a git who would catch a cold when you're already sick."

And he missed the grin that crossed over her lips as she tucked her chin down against the blanket. "Kay, you're going to come over once I'm not puking my guts up so we can finish the third season of Lois and Clark, right?"

He glanced up and nodded, looking a little more sure of himself now that they weren't discussing her glasses. "Yes, but not until you're better, since the last thing I need is you getting me sick."

"Don't worry!" She thrust her fist in the air like she'd just scored a touchdown. "The hero will eat all of her soup and she'll be all better before you know it!" And then she turned toward Francis. "Thanks for making the soup!"

"You're welcome, Allison. I hope you feel better soon."

She nodded firmly and then took a step back farther into the house. "Bye, have fun at the movie night."

"Not as much fun as we would with you." Francis ignored the dirty look he received from Arthur at that. "Goodbye."

And she closed the door at that, leaving the two of them standing on the porch together.

Francis immediately began walking toward the car, tossing over his shoulder. "You know, I'm sure I could let her know that you find her _charming _in her glasses. Who knows, maybe she'll start wearing them more often?"

"Shut up, frog!"

Why was it that nobody ever seemed to appreciate his attempts to help?

* * *

A/N: I love when Francis is being a little shit. Okay, prompt for this was eyes and it should be pretty obvious how they relate.

Someday I need to draw a map of Pleasantville so there's some continuity on where everyone lives. I don't think I've made any huge mistakes, but it can get confusing when I'm trying to remember where everyone's supposed to be.

Just as an FYI, the formspring account is going out of business because formspring is going down soon. BUT I am continuing the "ask the characters" thing. And I created an askblog here: ask-pleasantville . tumblr . com

So just so you know. The next prompt will be… **Abandoned**.


	38. 038: Abandoned

**038. **Abandoned  
**Characters: **Big Mike & The Chief  
**Genre: **Family/Friendship  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period:** after Round & Round

* * *

**Necessary Conversations**

There were very few people in this town—or really anywhere—who could claim any sort of ability to read Mike's inner thoughts and feelings. She had the skills of an actress; the ability to sweep her true self away and hide it behind whatever mask she decided to don for the day. It'd taken him years of friendship and too many grief-filled nights when she _couldn't _hide any more for him to really learn how to read his best friend.

And she was upset now. Yes, she was fluttering about the kitchen, placing chocolate-chip cookies on cooling racks, and chattering about something that Gill had done the other day. But he could easily tell that something else was on her mind. There were little pauses in speech, as if she were having trouble keeping her mind on what she was saying, her movements were less flowing than usual…

He waited until she'd made her way back to the table, though. She had a mug of coffee for him, black, and one for herself that he knew was about half sugar and creamer.

"So," he took the mug from her hand and took a sip. Good and strong, it would probably be necessary for this conversation. "It has something to do with Leon, doesn't it?"

Mike hesitated about halfway to her seat, then gave a quick laugh and settled herself down entirely. "What do you mean, Frankie?"

She should really know by this point that lying to him didn't work; he knew her much too well. But she still tried. She took a sip of her own coffee and sent him a look over the rim.

"You're upset and I'm assuming it has something to do with your grandson." It was obvious, really.

She didn't respond for a long moment. She sat and sipped her coffee as she stared off into the distance, deep in thought. And then she sighed and her expression finally showed her exhaustion, sorrow… She'd been through so much and she hid it so well.

He always felt honoured during these moments. He didn't know of anyone else who got to see Mike's emotions laid bare like this. Not since Teddy's death.

"He's so much like Megan."

Megan… Frankie had only met her a couple times.

Once had been right after Leon's birth, when Mike and Teddy has asked him to come to the hospital to meet their new grandson. He vaguely remembered the girl; beautiful, very young, and quiet. Scotty had been the one to give him all of the important details, asked him if he wanted to hold the baby…

Frankie remembered Scotty quite well; he'd absolutely adored his wife and his son. He'd worked as hard as he could to give them the best life he could. He was always willing to help anyone in need and it would be practically impossible to find someone who hadn't loved him.

The next time Frankie had seen Megan was at Scotty's funeral.

She must have been at Teddy's as well, but he could remember so little from that day. Just this overwhelming sense of the injustice of it all. The memory of holding Mike's hand throughout the entire day because she'd told him that she didn't think she'd be able to keep herself together otherwise.

He remembered Megan standing next to her husband's coffin, expression like a lost child who was praying that this was just a nightmare. Leon had been about six at the time and his little voice had piped up occasionally, asking what was happening, why everyone was sad—one of the older woman had volunteered to take him, but Megan had shook her head and held him closer.

That had been the last time he'd seen her alive. They'd never been able to get along; they reminded each other of what they'd both lost and their personalities were so incompatible… Megan had been quiet, serious, shy and Mike was…well, Mike.

He supposed that's what she meant when she said Leon was like Megan.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking their respective coffees and then he said, "Not exactly like Megan, though."

She glanced up, sending him a slightly puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he shrugged. "Leon's not exactly like her. Least, not as far as I remember her. She was pretty reclusive if I'm rememberin' correctly." She and Scotty had made a perfect pair. She was the serious one who reeled him in, while he was the one who pushed her out of her comfort zone. "I partnered him up with Johnson like you suggested."

Mike nodded. "Yes..." Looking a little curious about what that had to do with anything.

"And I know you asked me to do it 'cause Johnson's the biggest, toughest guy I've got."

Another nod.

"Well, that's one definite difference between him and Megan. I definitely wouldn't classify him as reclusive. He's the only person I've ever met who's really tried to befriend Johnson. And he was actually _successful_."

He'd also managed to do something that Frankie never would have expected. He'd been walking to his office just a week or so ago and had actually frozen in his tracks when he noticed three of his other officers, Rachel, Dan, and Ishmael, all gathered around Johnson's office, drinking coffee and having a normal chat with Johnson and his partner. Leon had, of course, been doing all of the talking on their end, but still… Frankie had almost felt bad when he'd walked by and told them to get back to work.

Mike nodded in agreement and then sighed. "He's like her where it matters, though. He doesn't seem to enjoy talking to me."

"He doesn't really _know _you, does he?" Frankie stood at this and walked over to the coffeepot for a refill. Then swiped a cookie from one of the cooling racks and turned to face her while he ate it. "He's a good kid. Generally pretty hard working, a bit naïve, but that'll get washed out of him sooner or later."

Mike frowned; and it was weird seeing her frown, she always made sure to keep a cheerful demeanour around everybody else. "I don't want it to get washed out of him. I want him safe."

"I told you I'd do what I can." He dipped the last few bites of cookie in the coffee. "I'm not going to treat him differently than any of my other officers, though. I don't do favouritism. We don't usually have any of the high-profile, incredibly dangerous crimes happen around here…"

"He wants to go somewhere where they have those crimes," Mike responded, swirling her coffee around in her mug before she drank the last dregs. "Murders, drug deals, bank robberies. That's what Bethany…Megan's sister told me. He feels guilty for what happened to his mother and he wants to make up for it." She laughed and it sounded half-way between a laugh and a sob. Frankie immediately stepped closer and settled his hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head. "I could never talk to Megan either. I just _couldn't_. And she died because of it."

"That wasn't your fault." And he'd heard this before. Frankie immediately grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and pulled it so he was sitting right beside Mike. He pulled her hands into his lap and squeezed them tightly. "Megan's death wasn't your fault or Bethany's or Leon's or anyone's. You know this. The doctors told you this."

Doctors that she never let anyone else know that she was seeing. It frustrated him sometimes, how much she hid. _This _was what she needed to let her grandson see.

She shook her head and then forced a smile as she squeezed his hands back. "We just need to keep him here."

"Leon?"

She nodded. "Keep him here, where he'll be safe. I can't lose him, Frankie. I'd do anything to keep from losing him."

"Then talk to him." He clenched her hands even more tightly and leaned closer. "That's what you need to do, Mikey. He's a good kid; I think he _wants _to get to know you. And he's already done the impossible with Arthur and those kids."

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "I don't know, Frankie."

And he was kept from responding by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

The mask went up immediately. "That must be Gill and the others! You wait here while I let them in." And she immediately began walking past him, completely in her happy, grandmother role.

He grabbed her hand as she moved past, stopping her. And their eyes met for a long moment.

"Please, Mike?"

The mask fell for a moment. And then it returned as she pulled away and turned toward the door. "I'll think about it."

* * *

A/N: Big Miiiike. :( I made myself sad with this one. So much sadness.

I can't even imagine losing basically your entire family within the space of like 10 years. That's just…agh… She also frustrates me because communication is important!

Abandoned, since she's been abandoned… In a very permanent way. And is terrified of Leon abandoning her.

Umm, nothing else exciting is happening in my life. Happy April Fool's Day. And by "happy", I mean "I hate this holiday with a burning passion", mainly because my brother has been going on about the stupid youtube prank for 3 hours now. Note to people: KIDS WHO ARE AUTISTIC CAN'T TELL WHEN THINGS ARE JOKES. YOU ARE MAKING MY LIFE MISERABLE. AT LEAST PUT THAT IT'S A JOKE ON THE STUPID SITE.

Ugh, anyway. Next prompt is **Dreams**.


	39. 039: Dreams

**039. **Dreams  
**Characters: **Gabi & Leni  
**Genre: **Family/Friendship  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **soon after Tomatita

* * *

**To Life and Dreams**

"It's selfish of me, isn't it?"

"Gabi," Leni sighs and shakes her head as she pushes a glass of wine into her friend's hand. They've been sitting together on the back porch for the past half hour or so, watching as their kids play in the pool that Luca set up last weekend. It's the first time that anyone's been able to use it and right now Gill is standing on the top step of the ladder, throwing her arms out grandiosely, and shouting something at Francis, Antonio, and her brother. Leni watches, half-poised to spring across the lawn in case she falls. But then she finally jumps down into the pool and she relaxes and returns her attention to her and Gabi's conversation. "Honestly, sweetheart, I sometimes think you don't even know the definition of the _word _'selfish'." She drops back down into her seat and then lifts up her glass. "To life."

And Gabi laughs, which is what she was going for, and holds up her own glass. She clinks it against Leni's. "To life."

It's nice, having Gabi over like this. The kids can play together while the mothers talk. And it's pretty easy to keep an eye on them when they're all splashing around in one pool. It won't be too long before she has to call Gill out to reapply her sunblock, but for now, they have a few free minutes.

Right now, her friend needs encouragement. "It's not selfish to want companionship."

Gabi's always been too sweet for words. And right now she flushes and then takes a sip of her wine before she glances across the yard toward Antonio. "But I have Antonio… It feels selfish to want anything more."

Leni sighs and shakes her head. "Sweetie, there is a _big _difference between wanting a kid and wanting a boyfriend or a husband or whatever. A _big _difference."

"But…" She takes another sip and Leni makes a note to herself that she'd better make sure to not refill her glass after this. "It just _feels _selfish. I'm really so lucky. I shouldn't want anything more."

See? Leni shakes her head and then takes a long gulp from her glass. Not very _refined _or whatever, but she'd never been one of those cultured-types. "Luca and I wanted another baby," she remarks after a few moments of silence, punctuated by their kids' laughter.

Gabi blinks, looking puzzled by the non-sequitur. "Another baby?"

"A little brother or sister for Gill and Ludwig." She frowns slightly, her hand automatically moving to rest against her stomach. "We tried…and tried…" And she snorts, immediately pulling the hand away and draining the glass before setting it on the bench beside her. "Then we found out that I can't have another one."

And Gabi actually looks heart-broken, like she's the one who received the news. Too sweet. "I'm sorry."

Leni sighs, a faint smile passing over her lips as she glances at her friend. "Not your fault. Not anybody's fault. And it wasn't _selfish_ of us to want another baby, just like it's not selfish of _you _to want a husband. Just so you don't get your life completely caught up in it." She grins. "Besides, it's not like you _can't _find somebody."

Gabi hurriedly shakes her head and turns beat red. "No. No. I couldn't…"

"If you don't want to date, you don't have to. But maybe someday…" Leni smirks and waves a hand around in a sort of vague pattern. "I'm sure there's a man out there who'll fall madly in love with you."

"He'd have to also fall in love with Antonio too."

Leni nods and glances back toward the pool. Ludwig's hanging onto the side and watching them. She waves, hoping it'll help get him back into the water, but he continues to stare at her like he expects her to come and rescue him.

She is lucky, she knows. She got two beautiful babies and that's more than some women were blessed with…

"There's somebody, somewhere that's gonna fall in love with both you _and_ Tonio, I know it." She stands up and takes Gabi's mostly-empty glass. "I'm going to go and get Gill's sunblock. You want to try to get them out of the pool?"

Gabi smiles and stands up, shaking out her skirt. "I can try. I don't know how successful I'll be."

To which Leni responds with a shrug. "All I can ask is that you try."

* * *

A/N: So this is just a short piece, since the next chapter is going to be a monster. And will be up probably within the hour.

I love Gabi. And Leni. I want to give them both all of the hugs.

Also, I'm pretty sure Leni is quoting "Fiddler on the Roof" with 'to life'... To life. To life. L'chaim.

Dreams because they're talking about their dreams. Next one is **Rated**. Although it only vaguely relates. xD


	40. 040: Rated

**040. **Rated  
**Characters: **Francis, Leon & Johnson  
**Genre: **Drama/Friendship  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period: **one year after R&R

* * *

**C'est la Vie**

_There's blood._

He doesn't know how long he's been walking. It feels like forever…or maybe only a few minutes.

There's blood in the snow. He stares down at the pavement, watches as his bare feet tramp down the snow and leave red smears every time he takes another step.

No one else around. Just him, snow, streetlamps…

He stops after a few more steps. His legs are shaking, although he can't feel them. Numb. Entire body numb. The cold has seeped through his jeans and his T-shirt like they don't even exist. His jacket's gone, stolen or destroyed. He can't remember anymore.

His cell phone is gone too. And his wallet.

And he can't remember how to get home. He doesn't even know where he is... It's cold and dark and he can feel the tickle of blood streaming down the side of his face.

Francis stands there, arms crossed over his chest as he shivers. Glancing down the street, searching for a familiar landmark.

He should feel something. Pain, cold…

There's a car. He watches it for a moment, hypnotized by the light as it moves closer… Then he hurriedly takes a step back, waiting for it to pass.

Except it doesn't.

It's black and white and there are lights on top, although they aren't flashing now. And he feels his stomach twist nervously.

The police car pulls up beside him and he watches as the passenger's window slowly rolls down.

He doesn't know her. Which is a relief. She's probably in her thirties; her dark hair is pulled back from her face in a tight bun. She peers up at him. "Hello. There any reason why you're walking around in the middle of the night without a jacket? It's pretty cold out here."

He doesn't know how to answer. It's like his thoughts are half-frozen as well. He can't think of an explanation that'll make her go away.

She frowns and then her eyebrows rise slightly as she squints toward him. "Are you okay?"

He can't bring himself to answer. He just stands there and watches as she unbuckles her seat belt and then leans across the seats and pushes the passenger door open. "Get in."

The image of him…running…darts across his mind, but he knows that would be stupid. She's in a car and he can't feel his legs _now_. Perhaps they're gone.

So he settles his hand on the door for a moment and then slowly lowers himself into the vehicle. The warmth is immediate and intense and the door closes with a slam.

The woman is staring at him, frowning. "You're the Bonnefoy kid, right? Francis?"

He nods and then winces as a burst of pain jolts through his head. He presses his hand against his temple and pulls it away bloody.

Her frown has deepened and now she leans over and flicks a switch or pushes a button or something and he can hear the sirens start to blare. "You look like you need a hospital. Just lucky you managed to catch me at the end of my shift." He watches as she pulls the radio toward her mouth and presses the button to speak, "One twenty-eight to radio. Just finishing up my route, I picked up an injured kid. I'm gonna take him down to the hospital."

Hospital. Francis hunched forward slightly. He didn't want to go to the hospital; he wanted to just go home and take a forever-long shower. But the car's heat had sapped out all his energy. He could hardly keep his eyes open…

She'd started driving, although she was still talking on the radio. "Call one seventy-nine and tell him to meet us there."

His mind kept flashing back… Hands gripping his wrist, fingers tightening around his throat. Silver flash of a knife before it's reddened…

No. He drops his head against the cold window and the pain of the impact's jolt is enough to distract him. No, he won't think about it. He's not going to let this affect him. It was his own fault…

She's turned the siren off as they drive through residential streets toward the hospital. He leans his head against the window. And that's the last thing he remembers.

~.~.~

Hospitals. Leon hates hospitals. They bring back dozens of terrible memories. And it doesn't help that he has no idea why he's even here right now. He'd been spending his day off at home—he'd invited Johnson over, because it always felt weird to know that the only time Johnson ever spent around other people was while he was working…

Anyway, it'd been good that Johnson was there with him when he got the call, because it made Leon so jittery that driving probably wouldn't have been a good idea.

_Who _was it? The Chief had called him around one—which had saved him, actually, since he'd been trying to figure out how to get rid of Johnson so he could go to sleep without actually _telling _him to leave…Johnson didn't seem to notice the time—and had said that Andrea wanted him to meet her at the hospital. That had to mean that someone was sick or hurt. But why would _Andrea _want _him_? It wasn't like they _didn't _get along, but they weren't particularly close. Which meant that it must involve someone he was close to, right?

He was currently pacing in the waiting room, probably making some of the other people nervous. While Johnson just sat there, looking naked without a cigarette.

"Why the hell did she call _me _here?" He stopped in front of his partner, who was apparently amusing himself by watching Leon's panic attack. "Do you think it's Grandmother? But I'm pretty sure the Chief would've known if it was Grandmother…"

He was starting to enter full-on panic mode, which could've been averted if someone had just _let him know what the hell was going on here_.

"There you are."

And thank _God_.

Leon turned to see Andrea Isle, still in uniform. He didn't look really worried, which was a good thing. She had her arms crossed over her chest and tapping her nails impatiently against her opposite arm. "So," she remarked, "you want the long or short-version?"

He blinked. "Um, can we start with who's even here?"

She stopped tapping and blinked at him for a few seconds. Then, "Did I forget to tell the Chief that?"

"Yes!" That was probably louder than he should've responded, but he'd been panicking for the past…half hour at least. So he was allowed to be a little annoyed. He sighed and then motioned for her to sit down beside him as he dropped into the seat beside Johnson.

She glanced toward Johnson like he was some rare species of animal that she'd never expected to find in a hospital. "Hello, Johnson."

"'llo."

"So _who _is it?"

"Francis. The Bonnefoy kid. Okay, so I was just finishing up my shift, all right? And I was driving just past Rosewood Park when I noticed this person on the side of the road, limping along. I thought it was weird, so I stopped. And not only is whoever-it-is limping, but he's also barefoot and doesn't have a coat on. And there's blood _everywhere_, jeans and shirt all torn to hell, blood streaming down his face." She shook her head. "So I tell him to get in the car—thought he wouldn't for a minute—and then I recognize him."

And Leon's emotions have absolutely _no _clue what to do right now. They were alternating between confusion, worry, panic, and anger… Who he was angry at? He wasn't sure.

"So what happened to him?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. Pretty sure he's in shock. I figured _you'd _be able to get a statement out of him sooner than I could."

Leon glanced around the room, his fists clenching and unclenching nervously. "How bad were the injuries?"

"Well, he got hit on the head twice, was half-strangled by somebody, had his arms and legs carved up pretty good." She spoke very matter-of-factly, glanced up toward the ceiling as if in deep thought. "_Internal_ injury."

The way she said it let him know exactly what she meant.

He had to focus, couldn't let any sort of blind rage overtake him. Because that wouldn't help anything. Leon took a deep breath and then suddenly felt a weight on his arm. He turned his head slightly and saw that Johnson had rested a hand on his arm. Grounding him. He glanced up into his partner's eyes, which were just as blank as usual, and then nodded in thanks.

"Where is he?"

She pointed toward the direction she'd just come from. "Back there. Room 175. They've already done all their tests and stuff and we've got his clothes and other samples for DNA testing. You see if you can get what happened out of him."

He nodded, although he honestly wasn't sure if that was what he even _wanted _to do. Right now he just wanted to talk to him and reassure himself that he was okay.

~.~.~

Francis doesn't look as bad as he'd expected. Not that Leon really knew what it was he'd been expecting. Head cracked open, blood everywhere, maybe… He was rather relieved to see that Francis was just lying in the hospital bed with bandages covering most of his arms and an I.V. in the crook of his elbow.

He'd been staring at the television set, although he immediately turned when Leon walked through the door. He blinked sleepily a couple times and then a slow smile crossed over his lips. "Cher. Bonjour."

"Hey." It felt weird to be so casual, but he wasn't sure what else to say as he walked into the room and toward the bed.

"And bonjour, Johnson."

_That _surprised him a little. Leon hurriedly glanced back over his shoulder. And there was his partner, silently looming. How in the _world _did someone so big move so quietly? "Oh… I didn't know you were planning on following." Which was actually totally fine with him. Johnson's presence was reassuring, especially if he was going to have to ask a bunch of questions…

"The more the merrier, oui?" Francis called from the bed. His voice was slightly slurred, which probably meant they'd put him on pain meds.

Leon left Johnson the chair and moved closer to the bed, automatically going over the visible injuries. All those bandages on his arms, he could see another on his left temple now, and as he moved closer he could see the faint strangulation marks on his throat.

Fuck. And that was just what he could see from his chest up.

Francis was watching him in return, probably knowing exactly what Leon was thinking. Although he didn't show anything on his face. He wasn't showing much of _anything _in his expressions, which Leon knew wasn't the greatest sign. Expected, but not really helpful. He had his walls up.

He sighed and then leaned against the side of the bed. "So, they got you drugged up?"

Francis grinned and settled himself more comfortably against his pillows. "Mhm. It's lovely. You should try it sometime."

"I think I'd rather not. So…" And now he sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing toward the TV for a moment before he asked, "What exactly happened?"

Leon was getting much better at being able to tell when Francis was acting. And right now, Francis was working as hard as he could to hide how upset and scared he was… He grinned again, although it was more obviously-fake than before, and then reached out to pinch at Leon's sleeve. "I assume you won't accept 'I tripped' as an answer?"

"No. I don't think so."

"Pity. I haven't thought of anything better." He was rubbing Leon's sleeve between his fingers and staring at the fabric as if it were the most fascinating thing in the room. Leon let him, glanced over at Johnson who was watching them both with an unreadable expression.

The panic and worry that he'd been suffering from for the past however-long were beginning to be overtaken by new emotions. Anger, a desire for revenge… But he _couldn't _let them get the better of him, because he was a _cop _and he had to be calm and rational. "You could tell me what happened. The truth."

Francis had moved down to the cuff of his sleeve, so Leon moved his hand so it was in easier reach. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but it seemed to be calming him.

"I miscalculated. That's all." He lifted his head and met Leon's eyes and there was definite _pleading _there. Begging him to not ask any more questions.

But he _had _to. He sighed and settled himself more comfortably on the edge of the bed. Francis was twisting the fabric of his sleeve so tightly that it was starting to cut off circulation to his hand…

"Fran, I _need _you to tell me what happened. Someone tried to kill you…"

"Non…" He didn't sound convinced. And for a few minutes, he just sat there and played with the sleeve, rolling it up before smoothing it back down. Then he sighed and lifted his eyes to meet Leon's. "You're not going to just let it go…"

"Even if I wanted to—which I _don't_—I couldn't."

"Because you're a cop."

And that irritated him. "No." He leaned closer and then pressed down on the hand that had slipped away from his arm with his own. "Because I'm your _friend_… And if you think I'm going to let _any_ asshole get away with what they did to you, then you've got another thing coming."

Francis blinked at him for a couple seconds, seemingly startled. Then a faint, tiny, but actually _real_, smile crossed over his lips. "You're going to be stubborn, aren't you, cher?"

"Yes."

And then he laughed. It definitely held a twinge of bitterness, but it was a step in the right direction. He shifted himself around for a few seconds and then settled himself back against the pillow, taking Leon's hand in his and then turning it over so he could begin tracing the lines on his palm.

Which _tickled_.

"What are you—?"

"Shh," he shook his head warningly and then continued. "I'll tell _you_ what happened, but I don't want anyone else to know, besides whoever needs to know to prosecute them. Since I assume I can't get out of that."

"Definitely not when someone attempted to murder you, no."

He wrinkled his nose and glanced toward Johnson—who was still sitting there, very calmly watching them. Leon would never be able to understand how he could sit still for so long without fidgeting. Anyway, seeing him there must have done something to calm Francis, as he visibly relaxed before he turned back to Leon.

"The leader of the gang's name is Peter. Peter Ohlson. He's nineteen or so now. We've been sleeping together for a few years now."

The name sounded familiar. "Isn't his dad—"

"Yes." He frowned slightly. "He's superintendent of the school district."

Ugh. That was going to make this case _really _unpleasant. Hopefully the dad wasn't as much of a douche as the kid.

"Anyway, we started sleeping together when I was…thirteen or so? He heard that I was easy so he came up to me while I was leaving school and told me to give him and his friends blowjobs." He shrugged in a practiced-casual manner, although the way that his grip tightened on Leon's hand gave him away. "I figured why not?"

Leon was finding it hard to get past the casual throwaway 'thirteen'. Shit… He'd known that Francis was having casual sex now and last year, but _thirteen_. And he'd been propositioned by a sixteen, seventeen-year-old…

"And after that… He'd call me or sometimes I'd call him." He frowned. "It was never…enjoyable. He was always very rough. And he'd usually bring his friends."

Leon felt sick to his stomach. Not only because of what he was hearing described and what he could too-easily imagine, but also because Francis sounded like this was something _normal_. Something that he expected. "And this time…"

Francis bit down on his lower lip and then continued, his voice sounding fake-relaxed. "I miscalculated. That's all, cher. I—I thought about things while I was in Europe and I decided that I didn't have any desire to associate with Peter and his friends anymore." He frowned again. "I told him to come alone, but his friends must have been hiding and watching. I told him that I was finished with him and…" He shifted and squeezed Leon's hand in a tight grip. "Well, he was angry…"

Leon nodded. "Do you know the names of the others?"

Francis frowned. "I think so… I know who usually hung out with him, but I can't really remember…"

"Don't try to. Not right now, at least." He stood now, although he still remained standing by the bed. Francis's eyes followed his movements, a hint of worry passing through them.

"Are you leaving already, cher?"

"I need to go talk to some people down at the station." And he needed to get out of this room before he punched a wall or broke some very expensive equipment. "Besides, I'm sure they'll let you out soon and I want you to come over to my apartment once they do."

Francis blinked, obviously startled by the question. "What?"

Yeah, that was kind of a weird demand, but… "Unless you'd rather go to your house?"

Francis hurriedly shook his head… And then winced and pressed his hand against his temple. "Ow…"

"Don't hurt yourself." The response was automatically and actually earned him a genuine smile. Which was a plus. He started to move to leave, but then stopped and turned back to the bed. "Oh, and Fran."

"Oui?"

Leon was having to _work_ to keep his voice from revealing how pissed off he was right now. But he managed to keep it at least relatively relaxed-sounding. "This wasn't your fault. None of it. And I am _personally_ going to make sure that we catch the bastards whose fault it was and put them behind bars."

He didn't respond. Just stared at Leon for a few moments. And then smiled. "Okay, cher. But promise me something?"

He knew better than to agree without knowing what he was agreeing to… "What?"

"Don't tell anyone else? Besides the other police officers, I suppose. Not Gillian or Antoine or Arthur."

Leon hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Sure."

And he was a little surprised—although he probably shouldn't have been—when Francis moved forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then flashed him a smirk that was almost like his usual smirks. "I'll see you tomorrow, then? I'll look forward to it."

Leon rolled his eyes and moved back toward the bed. "Don't make me regret offering you the couch." And then turned and walked behind Johnson out of the room, sending a quick wave back to the bed's occupant before he closed the door.

His partner was waiting for him, watching him with his usual expression. Although Leon was able to read the 'well, what do you want to do now?' without too much difficulty.

"We're going back to the station to talk to the Chief and at some point I'm going to the firing range, because I _really _need to shoot something right now."

Johnson nodded, apparently satisfied with this response.

* * *

A/N: THERE! FINALLY DONE! I can't remember when I first mentioned I'd be working on this piece, but it's been a few days of heavy duty writing to get it done.

Still tons of things that I'm not happy with, but such is life…

Let's see... Notes wise. One thing that doesn't come out in this fic really is that Franny was also sexually assaulted, not only physically attacked. :( They kind of hint at it, but nobody wanted to say it. (Plus Franny doesn't view it as being anything serious since his views on sex are pretty fucked up cuz of Jean.)

Ummm, it's really really vaguely related to Rated… Just cuz it's kind of a more serious, mature piece that would be rated a bit higher… Maybe? Idk, it kind of works not really.

Next is **Teamwork**.


	41. 041: Teamwork

**041. **Teamwork  
**Characters: **Mathias & Jakob  
**Genre: **Humour  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **a little time after JaLP

* * *

**A Journalist and His Danish Idiot**

Jakob was pretty sure that he was going to have to arrange an emergency Skype date with his therapist as soon as they managed to find their way back to civilization. If he didn't, then there was a high probability that Mathias was going to die tonight.

He was _extremely _irritated. His feet were probably blistered beyond recognition, first off. The dress shoes, which he'd bought from a thrift store specifically for this occasion, had been pinching at his toes since the beginning of the evening. He was starting to wonder if he may have to amputate the toes in question after all this walking…

They'd been walking along a dusty, almost-never-used path for the past hour without any sign of another living human being. The sun was low, just ducking below the horizon and it was starting to get cold. And, of course, the tuxedo that he'd also rented specifically for tonight wasn't doing much to keep him warm.

"You're pissed, aren't you?"

It was the first thing that Mathias had said since 'the incident'. He'd just been walking a few steps behind, probably sensing Jakob's internal homicidal rage.

Jakob didn't turn. He just responded with an icy, "Now why would I be angry?"

Now, any normal person would immediately have recognized the fury beneath the words and would have backed off. But not Mathias. He went ahead and took them at face value. "Awesome!" He instantly jumped forward so they were walking side by side. "I was worried you were gonna be pissed. But it's not like it was _my _fault."

If he killed him out here it would probably be _weeks _before anyone found the body. If he weren't eaten by coyotes first.

Deep breaths. That's what his therapist always told him. In and out. In and out. Slowly.

"That guy had a stick up his ass anyway. I can't believe he kicked us out like that. Just when things were starting to get good!"

Jakob concentrated on breathing, keeping his voice calm and level. "You were making out with a senator's daughter. A senator's _underage_ daughter."

Mathias pouted like an overgrown kid. "Ididn't know she was underage. She told me she was eighteen! And anyway, we didn't do anything _wrong…_technically."

Jakob often questioned his life choices. Why in the world did he put up with this? Was having a well-paying job _really _worth all this misery? He could always find a job somewhere else, even if it was only a low-level job like writing the obituaries or something like that.

He may _have _to start looking for new employment after this fiasco. See, the evening had started amazingly well. He should've known then that something would happen to ruin it. He'd been working on an article in his and Mathias's hotel room, getting it ready to send back to his boss on the other side of the country. That's when Mathias had burst in with his characteristic lack of grace and shouted that they were invited to a party that evening.

Apparently he'd been talking to some other guests at the hotel and somehow—and Jakob would never understand how he managed these sorts of things—he'd got them both invited to a party at the home of a United States' senator.

They'd then whisked off to try on second-hand tuxedos and uncomfortable shoes and had been met back at the hotel by a limousine filled with people who treated Mathias like a lifelong friend.

That was how things always went, though. It's why people loved reading Jakob's articles. They were _amused_ by Mathias' antics and wondered over how he could become best friends with a stranger in a matter of minutes.

He'd tried writing an article once about Mathias' process, but then realized that it was useless. Because it _shouldn't _work and for anyone besides Mathias, it wouldn't.

Jakob kept his thoughts turned inward as they walked through the wasteland. He supposed that this would make a good article at least, which was good since it'd also possibly be his last. He didn't doubt that Senator Tillbury would be happy to go after his job, since he was always the one who had to deal with Mathias' fall out.

This could be good thing, though. He'd already been considering quitting, running through plans for his 'life after these articles'. It got tiring to be constantly travelling around the country, after all. Might be nice to settle down. Somewhere nice and quiet and far away from the Danish idiot.

"It doesn't matter, though!" Mathias had started talking again. "We'll find a different party! Since that one was pretty lame anyway!" He laughed and sprinted a few yards ahead.

Jakob watched him for a few moments and then sighed. "Hey, idiot, there's something that I need to tell you."

Mathias turned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. He was bouncing between his feet, filled to the brim with a childish amount of energy. How in the world he managed to retain that much energy… "Yeah, bro?"

Patience. Jakob raised an eyebrow. "…Don't call me that."

"Sure thing, dude."

Amazing as it may seem, Mathias wasn't actually _trying _to be this annoying. It was just his natural state of being. Jakob rolled his eyes and continued, "I'm going east after this."

"Sweet! I've been missing the east coast! Not as awesome as Cali, but New Orleans? Yeah, I miss New Orleans."

Yes, New Orleans. Jakob remembered that article. No matter how hard he'd tried to forget…

"Not you. _I'm _going back. Alone."

There was a moment of silence. Jakob continued walking—he thought he could see an unnatural light in the distance now—while Mathias faltered and fell behind.

"Huh? Oh, I get it… You're joking! That's funny, Jakey!" He caught up again and then strode ahead, turning so he was facing him and walking backwards. "We can't split up! How'd we write our articles?"

Since when were they 'our' articles?

"No, I'm not." He didn't even blink as Mathias stumbled over a rock and fell right onto his back.

"But…" Mathias jumped up after a few seconds and hurried to catch up with his partner. "Dude, we're a team! We're a daring duo! Traveling the United States, coast to coast, writing all about wrestling alligators and joining the circus! I was thinking we could get back to Vegas soon; I got ordained so I can perform weddings now!"

…Whoever had come up with the idea of making it possible to ordain people through the internet was an idiot. Just like the one who was still following him like a pathetic puppy.

Some nice little town with a newspaper where he could write about town council meetings and the occasional traffic accident.

The idea was somehow unappealing. He supposed that it was possible to get so used to writing one thing that it was hard to get yourself out of that mindset. But he _definitely _wasn't going to miss the stupid Danish idiot…

"Wait, wait! I've got an amazing idea!" And now Mathias jumped ahead of him again, but this time stomped down right in Jakob's path so he had to stop for a moment. Annoying.

He sighed, but his feet hurt badly enough that even a few moments of respite were welcome. "What plan?"

"If you wanna go east, then we can always stop in our old hometown! I bet they could use a journalist as incredible as you and then you can work on your book too!"

Jakob's eyes narrowed. "How did you know I was working on a book?"

"I found the file on your computer—hey!" He hurriedly jumped away as Jakob lunged forward. Idiot couldn't hold still for long enough for him to _strangle _him. "If you don't want me to find it, then you should hide it better! I was just looking for your porn stash."

"I don't _have _a porn stash." He could barely get the words out he was gritting his teeth so hard. Breathe. In and out. In and out.

"Liar. Everybody's got a porn stash somewhere." He continued, ignoring Jakob's homicidal glare. "Anyway, Pleasantville would be the perfect place to do research for your book. It's all about relationships and people and stuff like that, right?"

What he was saying was true… Jakob had based a lot of the characters in his novel-to-be on people he remembered that had lived in Pleasantville. And going back there _would _give him an opportunity to really study long-term relationships in a way they hadn't been able to do in a while. When you were travelling as extensively as they did, you only really caught tiny glimpses of people's lives.

But if he went back there, then he'd be stuck with the idiot…

"It's a lot more complicated than 'relationships and people and stuff'."

"Of course it is!" Mathias had regained his cocky Mathias-ness. "But I bet it'd turn out better if you did lots of research. And where better than a place like Pleasantville?"

Jakob wasn't liking this. Mathias was grinning like he knew he'd already won.

He frowned and then stomped forward, making sure to tread heavily on the idiot's foot as he passed. "Let's go, idiot." He'd talk to his therapist about it, and he'd probably say it was a stupid idea too.

But he had a sinking feeling in his gut that told him that he was doomed. Doomed to a life forever spent with the reckless, Danish idiot.

Maybe he'd be able to talk to Ice tonight. That would cheer him up.

* * *

A/N: I feel so sorry for so many of my characters. But I also mock their pain… Schadenfreude! Like the Avenue Q song! :D …Actually, a lot of the Avenue Q songs would work with this series.

So yeah, people have asked how Mathias and Jakob are gonna get back to Pleasantville. This is how. The when…isn't quite so clear. . It's after JaLP.

In real life, I got a job! Isn't that exciting?! I can start paying my loans back… Which isn't so exciting, but necessary.

And the Eurovision Finale is tomorrow! I'm planning on writing a Pleasantville fic about that since it was requested and I decided "Hey, why not?"

How it works with the theme? Mathias and Jakob are a team! Even if Jakob would like to pretend that they're not.

The next prompt is **Standing Still**.


	42. 042: Standing Still

**042. **Standing Still  
**Characters: **Gill, Leon, Francis & others  
**Genre: **Humour  
**Rating:** K  
**Time Period: **May 2013

* * *

**Alcohol is Unfortunately Not Free**

Leon wasn't entirely sure he understood what was happening here… He wasn't even sure if he _should _be trying to understand what was happening.

"So," he started as he watched the man on the TV screen begin rising on some invisible platform. "You guys watch this every year?"

Gill, who was currently sitting beside him on the couch, bounced a few times in excitement. "Yep! We watch it _every _year since they put it online so we could! It's so awesome! Isn't this vampire dude awesome! He sounds like a woman and he looks like Dracula!"

This was definitely the weirdest thing he'd seen this night. From what Leon could understand, he was apparently watching a contest that many of the denizens of Pleasantville found very important. Which made sense, he supposed, since a weirdly large percentage of people in this town placed huge stock in their foreign ancestry.

He started a little as he felt breath against his ear. "You enjoying the show?" Francis, of course, was leaning over the back of the couch. Leon moved his head to send him an unamused look, and then responded. "Well, I'm definitely impressed by his voice. The presentation is…" He tried to think of a good word. He settled on "Bizarre."

Francis laughed. "That's Eurovision for you."

"Wasn't Germany's awesome, though?" Gill bounced again and glanced toward Arthur, who was sitting beside her and staring with an annoyed glare at the TV. Leon wasn't entirely sure that he was actually processing what was happening.

"This whole contest is bloody awful. I can't believe I let you talk me into watching."

Leon could actually _hear _the smug grin in Francis's voice. "Oh come, cher. You know you're curious to see how badly you do this year. Maybe you'll actually have points in the double digits this time."

Leon's attention returned to the screen. He had to admit that the show was very mesmerizing, all of the lights and pyrotechnics and flashy costumes. And the songs were catchy. The operatic Romanian had finished his song and now they were showing a montage of scenes from the next singer.

"And speaking of the United Kingdom." Francis dropped onto the armrest right next to Leon. "Look who's next."

Arthur had sat upright and now sent Francis a scathing glare. Leon felt rather uncomfortable sitting in the middle. "The voting is all _political _anyway, but even _with _that, we'll still do better than _you_."

"We shall see, cher," he settled himself by leaning most of his weight on Leon's arm, which wasn't the most comfortable thing. On his other side, Gill was vibrating with barely-contained excitement.

It was kind of adorable, actually. He never would have imagined that Gill could get this excited over a singing contest.

Everyone was watching the television set now. He had to admit that he was only half listening. Mostly he was thinking about how it was funny that people here seemed to take this thing super seriously and he'd never even _heard_ of it before. He was enjoying it though, which was more than he'd been expecting when Gill had shown up at his apartment this morning and told him that he had to come to her 'Eurovision party'.

He'd gone with her—he wasn't working today and he was curious—and had been a little surprised to find her parents and brother waiting in the car outside. He'd hurriedly greeted them as he slid into the back seat next to Gill.

"So is this going to be your first time watching Eurovision?" Leni had turned around in her seat as her husband started driving. It hadn't taken Leon too long to figure out that they were driving out toward Francis's house. Which he supposed made sense.

"I…guess?" He'd been too confused at that point to really respond more articulately. Although he was even _more _confused when they arrived at Francis's house and he saw all of the cars parked outside.

Leon broke out of his thoughts as Gill suddenly grabbed onto his arm and tugged hard enough that it was actually slightly painful. "Isn't this awesome?! Mattie and me are probably gonna be in Europe next year, so we can actually go to the _real _show!"

"You're going to Europe?" Was he supposed to have known that already?

She nodded. "We're going to visit Uncle Fritz and we're gonna go _all _over Europe for almost a whole year after we graduate!"

Wow. "Where is Mattie anyway? Does she not like this…contest?"

Gill sighed and crossed her arms over her chest with a pout. "She and her sister had to go out to visit their aunt or something. Which is super unawesome! They should've gone _next _week."

"Is she sick?"

Gill shrugged and then returned her attention to the screen as the next act came up. Sweden, apparently.

Everybody stayed quiet through this act, which was pretty relieving. He settled himself as comfortably as he could in his seat and watched the performance. Very poppy, like most of the acts. Performances like this always reminded him of being on stage in high school.

Then the finish, the montage… If he knew the European flags then he'd probably be able to guess the next act from the butterfly in the beginning. But that was definitely not something that he'd ever made sure he learned.

This next one was Hungary. Somebody here was Hungarian… He couldn't remember who…

"So what do you think, Eli? Lizzie? Do you like your representative?"

That had been Francis, who was still resting on the armrest beside Leon and had now shifted so he was almost _sitting_ on top of him. Leon attempted to scoot away, but Gill was squished up against him for no apparent reason, since there was plenty of space between her and Arthur. He really had no idea why _he _was the one who was never allowed any personal space, but he was starting to resign himself to this life.

Eli was currently sitting on the floor in front of one of the couches; his sister was sitting _on_ the couch, although farther to the right. There were eight couches set up around the room, facing a television set that wouldn't have looked out of place in a movie theatre. And there was apparently another room like this one hiding somewhere else in this mansion, since that's where the parents had disappeared to.

The boy glanced up and grinned. "Yeah, I like him. But Finland…"

Lizzie interrupted him with an annoyed snort and pushed her foot against the side of his head. "You only liked Finland because of the yuri at the end."

And Leon knew enough about those two to know that this conversation was about to head into dangerous territory. He heard Gill sigh beside him and felt as she slouched farther down in her seat. "I wanna listen to the song, so you better not be loud!"

Eli grinned and waved a hand toward the girl. "Don't worry, Gill. No need to fight. Lizzie's just jealous."

Lizzie kicked him, but didn't answer. Which was good, since conversations between those two usually seemed to end in screaming matches over what was better. 'Yaoi' or 'yuri'… Which were apparently names for gay and lesbian things?

And now Francis was laying on him, which was _really_ not comfortable… "_Francis_."

"Shh, I can't hear the song, cher~"

Why had he come here again?

Gillian was bouncing in her seat and jumped up as soon as the song finished. "Somebody needs to go get more snacks! Who volunteers?"

"I'll go," Leon hurriedly offered. Because if _he _had to get up, then that would mean _Francis _would have to move.

But Gill immediately shot that down. "No! This is your first Eurovision contest so you _have _to stay." She glanced around the room. Everybody was staring at her with a variety of expressions. Feli, who was sitting between her sister and Ludwig on one of the other couches, raised her hand timidly. "Ve~ I can go get snacks."

"No! Luddy should go!"

Actually, Ludwig was the only one in the room who seemed to not be paying attention to his sister, as he was reading a book instead. The same book he'd been reading throughout the entire show; apparently he wasn't as big a fan as his sister.

He glanced up at the sound of his name. "What?"

"Luddy!" Gillian dramatically pointed her finger at her brother. Leon, meanwhile, started moving more into her space because he felt insanely crowded right now. Francis was actually laughing to himself as he followed him until he was actually sitting on the couch, which meant Leon had completely taken over Gill's spot. Not that she noticed right now, as she was too busy ordering her little brother around. "You need to go get more snacks!"

Ludwig stared at her for a second, but then shrugged and stood. Feli immediately jumped up as well. "Ve~ I can help him carry them!"

Gill frowned, but then nodded hurriedly as the first notes of the next song started. "Kay, fine. Hurry up, though!"

She started to sit down, but then realized her seat was occupied. And Leon had never actually received a dirty look from her before. It was rather terrifying. So he hurriedly pointed at the _real _culprit…who smiled innocently and then grabbed onto his arm.

Gill pouted and then dropped into the small space left between Leon and Arthur… And Arthur was definitely not happy about that.

The next song had begun, though, so he didn't say anything. Leon turned his own gaze to the screen, although it was hard to pay attention when he felt like he was getting crushed in a vice. And if _he _was feeling squashed, then _Francis _must be feeling it too. Which meant he was just doing this to be difficult.

It was a good song, though. He actually really liked that one. He was still grateful when it finished, though, since he could hurriedly take the chance to stand up.

"What are you doing?" Gill frowned and sat up straight. "Thor's up next! You've gotta see Thor!"

Leon had been hoping for a chance to escape... And possibly use the restroom. But Gill was staring at him with eyes that basically said 'if you leave now, you will shatter my heart into a billion pieces'.

He sighed and squeezed himself back into his seat, shoving not-so-gently at Francis. Who responded by _pinching his arm. _Because apparently we were going to act like we're in middle school.

And he watched enviously as Lovi suddenly jumped up right before the act started. "I have to go to the bathroom!" And ran out, tugging Antonio behind…

Who protested, "Lovi, I can't go to the bathroom with you…"

Poor Ludwig. She was probably on her way to protest the fact that he was with her sister.

Leon sighed and made himself as comfortable as possible to watch this next act.

And actually, the guy kind of did look like Thor… Huh.

* * *

A/N: All right, so someone on tumblr requested that I write a Eurovision Pleasantville story. And I thought it might be funny and challenging. So… it's not as good as I'd hoped, but I'm not too disappointed with it.

I kind of wanted to go a few more songs, but I was losing steam. So just know that Lizzie totally thinks there is homoerotic tension between the Azerbaijan singer and his box dancer. And she and Eli get into a fight about that… (That only escalates when there is the male/male kiss during the Sweden song.)

And Arthur really wishes that alcohol was free. The parents are hiding it from the kids in the other room. Rude.

This has been the first year since 2010 when my friend and I have been able to watch the show together. We had a party and it was wonderful. :) And the stream was SUPER high quality too. Yay! And my streak of guessing who's going to win is unbroken! Six years (aka, since I started watching) and going strong!

How this relates to the prompt… Well… We'll cheat and say it's a "sitting still" story. Next prompt is **Dying**.


	43. 043: Dying

**043. **Dying  
**Characters: **Gillian, Antonio, Francis, and Ludwig  
**Genre: **Humour  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period: **age 11ish

* * *

**The Joys of Puberty**

"Watch me! Watch me! Franny, you're not watching!" Gill's voice had an amazing ability to _carry_; she'd probably just managed to capture the attention of every child and parent in the entire playground. Including Francis, who'd been sitting on one of the swings for the past few minutes, lightly kicking his feet back and forth distractedly as he thought about the science project he'd have to start working on tonight.

He glanced up at the sound of her voice. Gill was standing on top of the monkey bars, balanced precariously and waving at him. He lifted a hand and waved back, rather amused. Ludwig was standing beneath the bars, probably trying to convince her to return to planet earth.

She was ignoring him, rocking back and forth a few times on her heels. She then shouted again, "The awesome one is now going to perform an awesome trick! She's going to walk all the way across these bars without using her hands at all!"

"But you might fall, Gilly!" Antonio was sitting on top of the slide, distracted by Gill's statement so that he didn't notice the annoyed line of other children forming behind him.

Francis shook his head and then slid out of his swing to begin walking toward the monkey bars. He knew that any attempts to reason with Gill would be unsuccessful, so really the only thing he could do was get beneath her so he could break her fall if she slipped.

One of the hazards of being friends with Gill.

She had already started on her no-hands-trek by the time Francis had arrived and was actually doing surprisingly well. She wavered a few times, but managed to catch herself before she slipped. Ludwig was standing beneath the bars and staring up at her, although he turned his attention to Francis when he arrived and gave him a look like 'Please stop her now'.

"Careful, Gilly," Francis called up, "You don't want to break something again." He vaguely wondered where Clarissa had disappeared to; she was supposed to be watching them right now, after all.

He suddenly stopped, though, as he noticed something odd. He could see a dark splotch on the back of Gill's pants…

"Gill?"

"What?" she turned her head slightly, throwing her arms out to keep herself from tipping over.

"Come down here, there's something…" He didn't really want to yell up at her, since that would be embarrassing if anyone else heard. Thankfully, Gill's curiosity was strong enough that she only hesitated for a moment before crouching down and dropping through the gaps between the bars. Landing right in front of him.

Antonio had finally gone down the slide and wandered over by this point, obviously curious about why Francis had stopped Gill's death-defying stunt.

"Gill, there's something on your pants, I think." Gill immediately glanced down toward her front, looking puzzled. "More on the back."

She frowned and then patted herself on the bottom. And looked rather surprised. "My butt's wet!"

Poor Ludwig looked like he was about to die of mortification. He held his hands up, "Gill, not so loud!"

She wasn't paying him any attention; instead, she was staring down at her fingers. Which now were stained with red. "Franny, I think my butt's bleeding!"

And she sounded rather freaked out, which was definitely understandable. What was a little less understandable was why she decided to take a few steps closer and shove her hand in his face. Francis hurriedly jumped back and almost knocked over Antonio, who had apparently moved to stand behind him at some point.

Ludwig was so pale that it looked as if he might pass out. He glanced over toward where Clarissa had last been seen, sitting on one of the benches near the sandbox. Probably hoping desperately that an authority figure would swoop down to save them all.

"It's okay, Gilly." Francis hurriedly tried to soothe her; he also reached out to grab her wrist and pushed it down. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Am I dying?"

Francis had the feeling that he knew what was going on here, but Gill's burgeoning freak-out was distracting him. "Of course not, chéri. I'm sure you just—" And click, light bulb flash. Now he remembered their teacher standing in front of their class with those clinical diagrams, the movie that he knew for a fact Gillian had slept through. As she had an inability to keep awake for any amount of time after their teacher turned the lights down. "You've just gotten your period, Gilly!"

And now she stared at him like he was insane. "What?"

Yeah, he was pretty sure she hadn't been paying any attention during those classes. Neither had Antonio, judging by his blank expression. The only one who looked like they had any clue what he was talking about was Ludwig, who looked like he wanted to run as far and as fast as possible.

"It means that you're now officially a woman!" he remembered that from the videos. Now he was wracking his brain trying to remember anything useful. "We talked about it in class, when we watched that movie."

"We talked about butt-bleeding turning people into women?" Gill's freaking out had at least been averted, although now she just looked confused and intrigued. "Why didn't you wake me up for that? That sounds awesome!"

Not really. The man's voice had been very sleep-inducing. About half the class had dozed off at one point or another.

Anyway, that wasn't really important. What was important was getting Gill what she needed. "We should probably find Clarissa and ask her to take you home or to the store to buy those things…" His mind was going blank again. "The cotton balls with the strings."

Gill perked up at this. "Those things we stole and threw at Artie during recess? Those things were awesome!"

Francis nodded, glanced back toward the bench where Clarissa had been sitting. And then hurriedly turned back as Gill started walking in the opposite direction. "Gilly?"

"We don't hafta find Clarissa! I know where we can get those things! I've seen Mutti buy them before."

Antonio immediately followed, leaving Francis and Ludwig behind. Francis thought for a few seconds; he knew they should probably tell Clarissa where they were going, but… It seemed like it'd be much more interesting to just follow Gill to wherever she was going and see what she did.

So that's what he did, hurriedly calling over his shoulder to Ludwig, "You can tell Clarissa where we're going, mon ami!"

He was pretty sure he heard something along the lines of, "But I don't know where you're going." But he was already far enough away that there was no point in worrying about it.

He leisurely followed Gill and Antonio, pretty sure he had a good idea of where she was going. He was rather pleased when he was proved correct; she ducked into the neighbourhood drugstore. And he ducked inside just in time to see her march up to the checkout, where a teenage boy was leaning forward, looking rather bored.

He straightened up as soon as she walked in and opened his mouth, probably to ask what she needed. Gill didn't give him the chance to ask, though, as she immediately demanded, "I need the cotton ball string things because my butt's bleeding."

Francis had to slap his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud at that. The boy looked completely flabbergasted. He just stared at her for a few seconds and then finally croaked out a "What?"

Francis hurriedly stepped in, still fighting back laughter. "She just got her period for the first time. We just need…" He heisted, still trying to remember what they were called.

The boy pointed toward one of the aisles. "Tampons and pads are in aisle eight."

"Merci!" He hurriedly grabbed Gill's wrist and pulled her toward the pointed-out aisle.

Although he was pretty sure all three of them were rather intimidated when they saw how many boxes there were. Gill stopped, stared at the boxes in front of her, and then pouted slightly. "Not awesome."

And it was time for Francis to step up again. He absolutely adored his friends, but they could be rather hopeless sometimes. He walked over and picked up one of the boxes, then began reading the back. "I think these are ones that are easier… You just put them in your underwear."

Gillian didn't respond for a moment. Then she said, "But I'm not wearing underwear."

And Francis had absolutely no idea how to respond to that one.

* * *

A/N: Fact, the inspiration for this came from the Pleasantville TVtropes article. (Check it out if you haven't, it's awesome.) Because somewhere it was mentioned that I've never mentioned any of the girls having a period. So here you go. Obligatory 'puberty sucks' chapter. xD

ALSO, I'm totally fudging around with ages because I don't know what's normal for sex ed starting… I went to a religious school til 3rd grade and I know we didn't talk about it there, but that might just be because it was a private school? I remember talking about it in 4th grade, so that could be the first year? Maybe? My memory of elementary school is not the best. SO I'M SORRY IF THERE IS ANYTHING NON-MAKING SENSE HERE. We are going off of my memory of something that happened 10 years ago. (I am old.)

Gill mentions dying, so that's how it relates to the prompt. Next one is **Two Roads**.


	44. 044: Two Roads

A/N: I'm going to add a trigger warning for this one for mentions of suicide/some suicidal ideation. Stay safe, my lovelies.

* * *

**044. **Two Roads  
**Characters: **Leon, Chris, Big Mike  
**Genre: **Tragedy  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period: **Leon=14

* * *

**Hospital Wing**

He thought about her all the time now. Sometimes he felt like he was being haunted by her ghost. Her spirit was following him, hissing in his ear that it was _his _fault. If he'd been a better son; if he hadn't run away when she needed him most…

The doctors said that it was normal for him to blame himself, but that he had to ignore those thoughts and understand that she'd been ill. Very ill. They talked about how it was a medical problem. Nothing that he'd done. But he found it hard to believe them.

His aunt had come yesterday during visiting hours. She'd acted cheerful, gave him the schoolwork he'd asked for and told him again that he shouldn't push himself too hard. It was okay if he wanted to take the year off from school. But he'd told her no, because right now he just wanted that normalcy… It gave him something else to think about, besides his mother's haunted eyes and his own guilt. Once he was out of here, then he'd go back to school with Chris and Claire and things would maybe feel less dream-like…

She'd sat across from him at the table in the visiting room and chattered about how they were almost done painting Jesse's room and how he was doing well at his new school; he'd already made friends with practically everybody in his class. His uncle's job was doing well and he actually greatly preferred his co-workers at this location.

It didn't help the guilt that twined through him when he thought about how he'd forced his aunt and uncle to pack up their lives and move states away, just so they could take care of him.

"Leon, we wanted to do this." She'd set her hands on top of his after he finally vocalized his swirling thoughts. "We love you. And it wasn't as awful as you make it sound, sweetheart. This is Jesse's first year of school anyway, so it isn't like he was leaving behind a lot of friends. And it wasn't difficult at all for Aaron to transfer to the area. Don't worry about us."

His grandmother had visited a few days ago. He'd been startled when she appeared; he hadn't seen her in so long… Hardly ever since his dad's death. Nothing had changed. She wasn't large physically, but something about her—her exuberance, perhaps—made her seem so much _bigger_. It was as if she somehow managed to take up more space than needed by her physical body. And she'd said so many things that he hadn't been able to hear because it was as if something inside him was drowning her out and saying "It's her fault."

And that had terrified him enough that he spent the rest of the day in his room, curled up in his blankets and trying to lose himself in the books that Claire had lent him.

He shouldn't blame her. Besides his aunt and uncle and Jesse, she was the last member of his family left. But it was hard… Where had she been when his mother was refusing to take her medication and when she locked herself in her bedroom and wouldn't eat and he had to walk over to Chris's house to beg his parents for help because he didn't know what else to do? Suddenly she was here, acting like everything was all right and he felt such intense _hatred_.

The doctors said it was normal. That everything he was feeling was normal. Even when he lay awake at night and wished that he was dead too. If anyone had to die, why couldn't it have been him?

Those thoughts came more and more rarely, though. And he was getting to the point where he just wanted to go home… To his new home… And just go to school and move on.

He'd said this to his doctor and he'd said that he should be able to go home soon. After they had a family meeting with his aunt and uncle tomorrow and the doctor signed off… So in the next couple days.

And now he was sitting in the visiting room, waiting for visiting hours to officially open and Chris to burst his way inside. It was always a highlight of his day to see Chris at the front of the line of visitors; the nurses would have to remind him every time that he had to _sign in _before he could go over and see Leon.

It was the same today. He speed-walked his way into the room and started to bee-line toward Leon's table before a nurse gently redirected him toward the sign in table. Where he signed in as quickly as humanly possible.

Then he hurried over toward Leon's table, as if worried someone else might steal the seat. Leon laughed… And it felt _good _to laugh at his friend's antics. "It's not a race, Chris."

"We only have an hour to talk, though." Leon always found it vaguely amusing how Chris could just move the chairs around like they weighed nothing. One of the other patients had told him when he first arrived that they were weighted with sand so they couldn't be picked up and thrown… "First thing, Claire told me that I had to remember to ask you if you needed anymore books."

He shook his head. "No, I shouldn't. They said I could come home soon."

And Chris absolutely lit up at that. And then pounded a fist on the table and shouted "Yes!" loudly enough that one of the nurses shushed him.

Leon laughed again and Chris seemed to grow even happier at that, although he managed to contain himself. "You're gonna love your new house! Your aunt showed me your room and it's really nice. There's a big window that faces the backyard and there's a windowsill with lots of cushions and they painted it that blue you picked out and it looks really nice and I made sure to check and there's no ghosts or evil spirits anywhere."

Leon nodded. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"Checking for evil spirits? You don't need to ask, Leon, of course I'd check your new house for evil spirits. I've gotta make sure you and your aunt and uncle and cousin are all gonna be safe."

"Not that." He wasn't even entirely sure why he was asking, but he'd been thinking about it for days now and… "They haven't sold our house… my old house…yet, have they?"

And Chris immediately lost his happy look, as if he knew exactly what Leon was going to ask. But Chris had never been able to lie to him… "No, your aunt's been really busy with the move and…everything else. We've just started getting everything into storage."

"I want to go see." He'd clenched his hands into fists. "I _need _to see." He felt this intense _need_ to go into the room where his mom had died. Otherwise, it didn't feel real…

He could tell that Chris knew exactly what he wasn't saying. He bit down on his bottom lip and glanced over toward the table where one of the nurses was sitting. "But…"

"And you'll make sure that Mom isn't there anymore. That she's moved on."

"But…" And now he looked really conflicted, his eyes kept moving from table to table. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

It really wasn't fair. He knew it wasn't fair to ask this of his friend, but he knew that he had to… And he didn't even think he believed in spirits or ghosts or any of the other supernatural things that Chris believed in. But… The thought kept flickering through his mind, 'What if her spirit was trapped in that house? Stuck there. Forever separated from his dad?'

It was horrifying and he needed to know.

"Please, Chris?"

And he'd known that Chris would give in. He always gave in. He sighed and frowned, but nodded. "Fine, but we're only going in for a few minutes."

And that was okay. Because that's all he needed. He just wanted to go there and finally say goodbye.

* * *

A/N: Leeeeeeoooon. :( This made me really sad.

Since I finally introduced Chris in the main storyline, I figured I could bring him into this one. But… I feel sad now. Poor Leon. And his relationship with his grandmother makes me sad too.

…I'm just gonna curl up in a ball and cry now.

How it relates to the prompt. I kind of see Leon here as making a choice. He could continue wallowing in misery and grief or he can work to move forward. And here he's making the first steps toward moving forward. Next prompt is **Illusion.**


	45. 045: Illusion

A/N: So, I was a little hesitant about posting this because it's a _tad _bit spoilery. But only if you're not up-to-date on ON2B. As long as you're up-to-date on ON2B, you should be fine… (Although this does kind of explicitly canon-ize something that was more _implied_ in ON2B.)

* * *

**045. **Illusion  
**Characters: **Francis, Arthur & Leon  
**Genre: **Friendship & Romance  
**Rating:** T  
**Time Period: **half a year after JaLP

* * *

**Frenemies**

He thinks about it sometimes, when he and Francis are sitting on opposite ends of Leon's couch with their feet brushing each other underneath the blanket. Their relationship—this _thing _that he and Francis have. It's…bizarre. He sometimes thinks about it; he and Francis are…what? Rivals, enemies, ex-fuck buddies, friends-of-a-sort?

He's aware that he knows more about Francis than probably anyone else on earth—a fact that's probably also true in reverse. While Francis absolutely _adores_ Antonio and Gillian, Arthur knows that he's never been entirely honest with either of them. Because Francis has some weird _need_ to protect them from the more fucked up parts of his self, a need he doesn't feel when it comes to Arthur.

Which is good, because Arthur isn't the type of person who'd put up with that bullshit.

They're sitting on the couch together now, the TV droning in the background as Arthur embroiders and Francis half-dozes. He keeps moving his feet, which are ice cold, and brushing them against Arthur's ankles. He's considered kicking him for a while, but that would take more energy than he wishes to exert right now.

Not that it'd change anything. Francis is thoroughly addicted to physical contact—he's always been like that. And If Arthur kicked his feet away, he'd probably just do something like try to lay on _top _of him just to be difficult.

Arthur is pretty sure that there isn't a label for their type of relationship. On the one hand, there's no one else in the world who can piss him off as easily as Francis. And they spend at least half of their time together fighting; occasionally those fights even turn physical. But on the other hand, they do trust each other… For some weird reason.

Francis knows that Arthur has a teddy bear that he still sleeps with sometimes, usually when he's sick or upset. He knows about the pirate hat hidden in the back of his closet that he wants to throw away, but he just _can't_. He knows that Arthur's terrified of talking to Allison about sex; they've been dating for six months now and he's too scared to even bring it up. Granted, half of that time he and Al have been dating long distance, but still…

Arthur had actually been surprised when Francis's first response to the confession—a totally-sloshed confession that he'd made while they drunkenly watched stupid American comedies in his dorm room—hadn't been mocking laughter. He'd smirked a little bit, but then said, "It is natural to be nervous when it is with someone you love, cher. Just give it time."

And he knows things about Francis as well. He knows that Francis has a drawer in his bedroom stuffed with letters from his parents, probably hundreds of them, all unopened. And he knows Francis's weird quirks. Like the fact that he steals his friends' clothes and wears them when he's feeling miserable… He'd lost many of his favourite shirts through the years because of _that_.

And there's one more thing about Francis that Arthur knows, which Arthur isn't even sure Francis _himself _realises. Even though he should, 'Monsieur Master of L'amour'.

Francis is asleep and Arthur is about halfway finished with his embroidery by the time he hears the sound of someone unlocking the door and pushing it open.

"Hey, Fran, I'm home. I got Chinese, since you said you weren't planning on making anything tonight." He walked through the door with a bag and then blinked in surprise when he noticed Arthur on the couch, although he immediately smiled. "Hey, I didn't expect you here 'til tomorrow."

"My last final was moved ahead, so I decided to come home early." He pokes Francis with his foot, although it doesn't do anything besides make him kick back and made a disgruntled sleepy sound into the throw pillow he's smushed his face against. Stupid bloody frog.

"Where's Fran?" Leon walks over to the kitchen and sets the take-out bag on the table.

And Arthur wonders when that nickname showed up. Leon's perfectly relaxed when he says it, like it's perfectly natural…

"Drooling all over your pillows." Okay, maybe he's _technically _not drooling yet…

Leon pauses for a moment and glances toward his bedroom door, then seems to realise what Arthur means and walks over to glance over the back of the couch. "Hm, I guess we can let him sleep if he's really that tired."

Yeah, right, like Arthur would be that considerate. He draws his foot back and kicks at whatever body part he can reach. Which he's pretty sure is a thigh.

Francis startles awake—mission accomplished—and immediately sends him a filthy look. Before he seems to notice Leon leaning over the back of the couch with a slightly-amused twist to his lips. "Morning, sleeping beauty."

And the fact that Francis's hands immediately move to brush at his hair should really be an obvious sign to the idiot. Arthur rolls his eyes and kicks his ankle. And gets automatically kicked back in response.

"Bonjour, cher, how was work?"

Leon shrugs as he continues to lean on the couch. "Fine, boring. Which I guess is better than the alternative."

And Jesus fucking Christ, Francis is beaming now and he's finally finished patting at his hair to make sure it isn't all mussed up (it is, but like _Arthur _was going to tell him). And it makes Arthur want to smack him. "Oui, cher." He seems to finally notice the scent of take-out and glances toward the table. "Did you bring home dinner?"

"Yeah, Chinese." He glances toward Arthur again. "Are you okay with that?"

Arthur shrugs. "Whatever. As long as it isn't McDonald's again. That's where Al decided she wanted to take me for lunch." And the fact that he hadn't been at all surprised that the first thing Ally wanted to do after not seeing him in person for more than a month was go to McDonald's together probably said a lot about their relationship.

"How adorable, cher~" And Francis was grinning his stupid French grin. It made Arthur want to kick him again.

"Shut up, frog."

Francis just continues to smirk and then stands up, stretching his arms over his head before heading toward the kitchen table and examining the boxes of Chinese food.

Arthur occasionally wonders if Francis is _actually_ oblivious to the fact he's obviously head over heels for his roommate, or if he's just being purposely dense. It really could be either, although Francis is usually pretty in tune with his own feelings… He's rarely _honest _about them, but he knows what he's feeling.

Right now Leon is pulling out containers of Chinese food from the bag and Francis is getting down plates and silverware and they're chatting about something that Gill did a couple days ago. And it's so _domestic._

They're like a fucking married couple. Except they aren't actually fucking.

"Cher, you could actually come and help us instead of just sitting there."

Arthur flips up his middle finger, but stands up and walks over. Watching as Francis scoots closer to Leon, like there isn't enough room in the kitchen unless they're standing on top of each other.

The thing is, he and Francis have a weird relationship. On the one hand, they fight constantly and can't spend more than two seconds around each other without insulting each other. But on the other hand, Arthur is now watching the two of them and wondering what Leon's feelings are toward his…whatever-the-fuck-Francis-is.

And he's not _worried_. He doesn't care whether Francis has his heart stomped on or whatever…

He's just _curious._

Leon isn't as easy to read as Francis and that's what makes him unsure… He's currently grinning at whatever it is that Francis just whispered to him and it's obvious that he's _fond _of Francis, otherwise the frog wouldn't be living with him. But how deep are those feelings?

Arthur literally has no idea.

But it's not like he cares! Like he said, he couldn't care less if Francis gets his stupid French heart crushed to pieces. It'd serve him right.

And Arthur would deny 'til his dying day that he actually felt any sort of positive emotions when he noticed how happy the frog looked right now. He'd seen him when he was miserable, when he was about as low as you could possibly get. And now he was obviously happy and probably bubbling over with those butterfly-in-love feelings that Arthur had been experiencing in abundance recently…

Now Francis turns and shoves some plates into his hands. "Set the table, cher. Tomorrow you should bring Allison over and I will make you both dinner. I wouldn't want _you _to think you had to make her something."

…And Arthur swears he's going soft, because normally he would make a sarcastic comment about how nobody wants to eat his stupid froggy food. But, instead he finds himself mumbling out a "Yeah, fine… Better than McDonald's again."

"And you are off tomorrow, oui?" Francis turns to Leon, who nods as he lowers himself into one of the chairs.

"Yeah, I'm free all day tomorrow."

...Rhis is going to be like a double date, isn't it?

* * *

A/N: It's almost CHRISTMAS. That's my authoress note today because I don't feel like writing anything else. xD

Illusion comes from the fact that in my head, Arthur & Francis's mutual hatred is like…at least 95% a total illusion. They're like siblings. They fight constantly, insult each other, but they're also pretty protective of each other.

Next one is **Family**_. _So many directions I could go with that one.

Also! Reviews are always LOVED. (Last chapter didn't get any, so I'm hoping y'all are still enjoying this story.)


	46. 046: Family

A/N: Trigger warning for talking about domestic abuse, also brief mention of homicidal thoughts.

* * *

**046. **Family  
**Characters: **Bonifacio, Lovi, & Feli  
**Genre: **Family (shocker there), Tragedy  
**Rating:** K+  
**Time Period: **Lovi4, Feli=3

* * *

**An Unlocked Door**

"Read!"

"Ree! Ree!"

The jolt of pain that shot through Bonifacio's head when he opened his eyes was enough to make him want to immediately curl into a ball and just lay there, unmoving, for the rest of the day. But he could feel two weights resting on his chest and his legs. And once his eyes were able to focus, he found himself looking into a pair of amber eyes that held all the annoyance and impatience a four-year-old could muster.

"Lov—?" And he winced as he spoke, pressing his hand against his head. And felt the long, deep gash left after last night.

He felt the weight on his legs shift and then Feli peeked over her sister's shoulder. "Hi, Dada!"

How had they gotten in here? He glanced toward the door, which was open just wide enough for two little girls to slide through. He felt his heart skip a panicked beat as he turned his eyes to his oldest, who was staring at him with an impatient expression while tightly clutching one of her picture books.

He slowly sat up, taking care to not knock either of the girls off the bed. His head was throbbing and it hurt to think…

"Hey, sweeties." Lovi was pushing the book into his stomach in a non-subtle hint that she wanted him to read it. "Did Mommy let you in?"

He knew she hadn't. After last night, he'd been expecting Bella to keep him locked in this room for at least a day…possibly longer. That's what she did whenever he dared to talk back, whenever it got too much and he finally snapped.

He reached to touch the gash again. It felt wet; he must have reopened it when he moved.

"Dada boo-boo?" And he was brought back to the present when he felt a pressure against his chest as a little hand pressed against his heart and another reached to touch his forehead.

Feli looked so concerned by the cut. He hurriedly took her hands in his and moved to kiss her forehead, trying to distract her from the wound.

He'd been stupid. He'd come home from work yesterday and he'd been both mentally and physically exhausted… And then he'd walked in the front door and found Lovi sitting on the floor, cutting open one of her teddy bears with an actual kitchen knife.

He'd freaked out. He'd immediately swooped down and snatched the knife out of her hand and then pulled her into his arms. She'd started crying and Bella had walked in.

And she'd looked so _disappointed_. And then _shocked _when he'd screamed at her. Asked her what the _hell _Lovi was doing with a kitchen knife.

"She wanted to play doctor." Bella had stared at him with those cold, remorseless eyes. "I gave her a plastic knife to play with. I don't know _where _she got the real one."

And he'd barely been able to keep it together. Lovi was warm in his arms; she'd stopped crying and had started squirming to be let down, but he'd clung to her for a few minutes more.

Bella had just continued staring at him, mocking him with her eyes. Daring him to accuse her…

And he'd been an idiot. He _had _accused her; he'd set Lovi's feet on the ground and watched as she ran off into the other room. And then he'd started screaming at Bella, accusing her of letting Lovi play with that knife. Accusing her of trying to hurt their daughter.

And at some point, Bella had grabbed the metal lamp off the end table and smashed it across his head.

"Dada!" And that startled him out of his thoughts. "Dada, ree!"

Both of his little girls were now staring at him, Feli with wide, pleading eyes while Lovi just looked annoyed that he wasn't reading to them yet. She poked the book into his stomach again.

Bella hadn't come yet, which meant she probably wasn't awake. He took the book into his hands and stared down at the cover portraying a happy-looking sheep, his throat dry as he tried to think. There was no way to lock or unlock the door from the inside; as soon as she woke up she'd notice that the door was unlocked.

"Lovi, sweetie." He set the book aside, trying to ignore the unhappy expression that immediately passed over both his daughters' faces. "Lovi, how did you get the door open to come in and see Daddy?"

Lovi frowned and glanced back toward the door and then turned and pushed at the book again. "Read!"

"I'll read to you in a minute, sweetie." He picked her up and settled her on his lap, holding her face between his hands so he could stare into her fierce little eyes. "Lovi, you need to tell Daddy how you got in here. Did you take Mommy's key?"

He already knew the answer; it was the only way they _could _have gotten in here, unless Bella had left the door unlocked. But he knew that he wasn't going to be that lucky. He has to have the most clever, courageous little baby girl in the entire world. One who's figured out how to steal keys and unlock doors by four-years-old.

Lovi pouted, puffing up her cheeks before she pushes his hands away. "Mommy's mean."

Understatement of the century. "Where's the key now?"

She continued to puff up her cheeks like a little squirrel, but then pointed back toward the door. Which at least gave him a moment of relief; if he knows where the key is, he can return it to its rightful place…

Bella doesn't have to know that the girls had anything to do with this.

And that was an immediate relief. He could say that the door didn't latch properly last night or he figured out some way of unlocking it from the inside… He'd think of something. As long as she didn't know that the girls were involved.

That's all that mattered. Keeping the girls safe. "Lovi, Feli, you need to listen to me. You can't tell Mommy about the key, okay? Not even if she asks you, you can't tell her that you opened the door."

And he should get them out of here. There's really no telling what sort of mood Bella will be in when she wakes up, but it'd probably be better for the girls not to be here. He stood and immediately lifted Feli into his arms, rewarded with a happy giggle and a kiss on the cheek.

Lovi watched him suspiciously, still holding the book. And he felt guilty, but their safety came first.

"Do you want to go over and play with Ludwig and Gill?" All he could do was hope that Leni or Luca would open the door and not ask questions that he couldn't answer.

"Ludwig!" Feli sounded pleased. Lovi looked like he'd just asked her whether she'd rather have brussel sprouts or cooked spinach for dinner. She did take his hand when he held it out for her, though.

"We need to stay very very quiet, sweeties. Like little mice. You can do that, right?"

"Mousies!"

He took that as a yes. Lovi still clung to her book and honestly, he wanted nothing more than to curl up with her and read it…

He hated Bella. He'd never hated someone with this sort of ferocious passion. She'd destroyed his life; she'd taken him away from the woman that he'd loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But he couldn't leave—and she _knew _it—because of the two beautiful little girls who were the only good things left in his world.

He'd threatened to leave. He'd threatened to go to the police, call child protective services, do _something_… And she'd just laughed and asked if that's what he wanted. Did he want someone to take the girls away? Put them in foster care? To get separated and tossed about from family to family?

And she'd asked if he thought that she'd let him do that. She'd fight him first and who would take his word over hers? He was a nobody with no family, no money… Her family would _destroy_ him and she'd have total custody.

That thought was too terrible to even consider.

Which is why he let her do whatever she wanted to him. He'd let her do whatever she wanted; she could take everything out on him, as long as she didn't hurt the girls…

But last night… Last night he hadn't been there to protect Lovi. She'd probably done something to anger Bella and he hadn't been there to deflect the rage. And the thoughts had haunted him all night. What if he'd come home later? What if something had happened and he hadn't been there?

And he'd thought about that knife that Lovi had been holding…

What if he'd turned and used it against _her_? If he took it and plunged it into Bella's chest or sliced her throat wide open? She'd never expect him to do it and then he'd be free from her. Lovi and Feli would be free from her. And even prison would be preferable to this hell.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to, he knew he couldn't kill anyone, even someone like her.

The girls stayed quiet as he brought them downstairs and quickly tugged little arms through jacket sleeves and slipped boots on over bare-feet. Leni would probably wonder why they were still dressed in their pajamas, but he didn't want to waste any more time than he had to; he'd come up with a story later.

He knelt down in front of them and pulled both of them into his arms. Lovi immediately squeaked in protest and tried to squirm away, while Feli giggled and hugged him back. "Okay, you're going to have lots of fun playing with Ludwig and Gill, right? I need you to tell their mommy or daddy that Mommy and Daddy are sick and sent you over because we don't want you to get sick too. Can you do that?"

"Daddy and Mommy sick?" And Feli's face immediately crumpled into concern. She hurriedly reached forward and placed her hand on his forehead. "No sick…"

Lovi gave him a look like she knew he was lying, and sometimes he wished his daughter wasn't so intelligent. She didn't say anything, though. She just slipped her hand into Feli's and tugged her toward the door. "Gotta see stupid 'tato."

Feli brightened at that and immediately followed her sister as she led her out the door and down across the yard toward the Beilschmidts'. He watched, careful to keep himself hidden, as Lovi rose on tiptoes to ring the doorbell, and breathed a sigh of relief when the door was opened within a few moments by a tousle-headed Ludwig.

Who was immediately tackled by his youngest.

And that was okay, as long as they were somewhere safe from Bella's inevitable wrath. That was all that was important. He could handle the rest.

* * *

A/N: So, I was discussing Bonifacio and his relationship with Bella and his daughters on my tumblr a couple days ago or so. And I decided that, since he was now on my mind, I'd write you a Compiling chapter about him.

…Basically, Bella is an evil human being and I feel bad for him. :( And the fact that present-day Lovi thinks that he didn't really love them makes my heart feel all squished and sad.

Next one of these is **Creation**.


End file.
